Peanutbutter Miso Protein Cookies

Maybe you don't have the same problem I do, but my kitchen seems to accumulate a lot of stuff that no one wants to consume. There are loads of old jars in the door of the fridge--God only knows what's inside them. I probably purchased this crap when it was on sale at the Giant, possibly a decade ago. Then my older daughter moved back home with all her crap, including a bunch of foodstuffs she clearly never plans to eat.

One of the pantry items she brought home is a jar of vegan protein powder. This is not something I'd ever buy--I eat meat, dairy, eggs, and animals products so I don't need to supplement my diet with protein from peas. But the additional ingredients in this powder actually looked pretty good: powdered spirulina, maca, flax and hemp seeds, and a variety of fruits and veggies loaded with antioxidants. I decided to put this protein powder to use.

But after smelling it, I thought it would be best in something with strong flavors that would mask the taste. The flavor is called "French Vanilla" and it contains stevia powder as a sweetener, so I went with a cookie recipe.

I've made these peanutbutter miso cookies many times, using whole wheat flour. (If you want the original recipe, you can find it on this blog.) This time, I substituted the protein powder for the flour. This ups the nutritional profile of this treat, although I did not reduce the sugar. The cookies turned out DELICIOUS, but definitely SWEET! Next time, I'll probably use half the sugar.

I like to measure ingredients for baking on a scale, instead of using a measuring cup. This is a much more accurate way of measuring and I recommend it for anyone who loves to bake. However, if you don't have a scale, I'll put the standard measurements in parentheses.

Ingredients:
53 grams coconut oil (about 1/4 cup)
130 grams peanutbutter (about 3/4 cup)
150 grams brown sugar (about 1 cup) This can be reduced by half!
90 grams white miso paste, optional (about 1/4 cup) OR add a half teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
60 grams vegan protein powder, vanilla flavor (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 325F. Add ingredients one at a time in the order listed into large mixing bowl, stirring thoroughly after each addition. The dough should be somewhat stiff. Chill dough for at least 20 minutes in fridge. Scoop into walnut-sized balls, then flatten with tines of fork. Bake on parchment paper or silpat sheet for 11 minutes. Let cool before removing to sealed container. Will keep several days at room temperature, or longer in the fridge. You can also freeze cookies before or after baking. Makes 2 dozen 2-inch cookies.

ENJOY!