Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had a craving for peanut butter cookies recents and it's much harder than I thought to find a grain free version that's not simply peanut butter. I really wanted almond flour, but still with peanut butter. Then, if I'm making peanut butter cookies, it wouldn't be that complete without some chocolate chips thrown in. So, I found this recipe. I made a couple changes to avoid the refined sugar, so here's what I got. They turned out really yummy, although the boys voted for the plain chocolate chip cookies I made last time. Those will be next on the list to make again.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 cup butter, mostly melted
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (Skippy for me, cause that's the way I roll)
3/8 cup coconut sugar (this is 1/4 cup plus 2 tbls)
3/8 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2-1/2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine the butter, coconut oil and peanut butter. Stir until everything is smooth (no chunks of coconut oil). Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs. Beat well. In the Vitamix, process one cup of almonds at a time until it's like flour and pour finished flour into a separate bowl. (Note: to get an even consistency, I found that NOT using the tamper at all was a better way to go here.) Once all almonds are processed, add baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder to the almonds and stir until combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until there aren't any dry lumps. Stir in the chocolate chips.

I used a 1-inch cookie scoop and got about 34 cookies. Place the cookies about two inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (aluminum is my favorite) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 11--15 minutes. I needed the maximum time, if not a little extra, otherwise the cookies were too squishy when I took them off the pan. This made the edges slightly crisp, with a nice, soft inside. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack, at least until you can pick them up and eat them.