Peanut Butterscotch Chews

I finally got a chance to break in my new copy of the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook today. It took me quite a while to decide which recipe to try first. They all sound so great but a lot of them call for flours I don't keep on hand such as spelt, oat or barley flour. So, while I take my time stocking up on new ingredients I decided to try a recipe that would use things I have on hand. I adapted t his recipe by adding the butterscotch chips but feel free to leave them out. Or substitute chocolate chips. Either way, these are amazing! They are dense yet moist, rich, chewy and oh so peanutty good! I would highly suggest baking two batches because I can tell that they are not going to last long around here!

Peanut Butterscotch Chews

(adapted from King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Cookbook)

1 c. smooth peanut butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar (I used organic evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 large egg
1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. dark corn syrup or honey (I used raw honey)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. lightly salted dry roasted peanuts, finely ground in the food processor (I used nuts from a small can of "nut topping" meant to top ice cream which I processed in my mini food chopper)
1/2 pkg. (about 6 oz.) butterscotch chips

Cream together first 8 ingredients. If you have a stand mixer, use that because this batter is quite heavy. Add flour and nuts until well combined. Gently mix in chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Press with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes on baking sheets then transfer with a spatula to wire racks to continue cooling. Makes about 28 cookies.