These very easy sunflower butter cookies are a tasty variation on traditional peanut butter cookies.  They're sweet, dense, heavy, nutty, and slightly chewy the way I think a peanut/sunflower butter cookie should be.   It's kind of an accident that they are also flourless and gluten-free - I tried both ways and just liked the texture best without flour.  It also makes for an even easier recipe!   You can use the recipe with either peanut butter or sunflower butter. 

If you haven't tried Trader Joe's Sunflower Butter and you like sunflower seeds, give it a try! The taste is very similar to peanut butter.  For anyone who avoids peanuts or has an allergy, consider sunflower butter as a great- and similar-tasting alternative to peanut butter.

I first wanted to make these cookies for St. Patrick's Day because sunflower butter has the unique property of turning green under certain baking conditions! The naturally occurring chlorogenic acid that is found in all plant leaves and stems is also present in the seeds of the sunflower.  Chlorogenic acid is an antioxidant and is one of the reasons that sunflower butter is good for you (as well as being a great source of vegetable protein, potassium, vitamin E, and other vitamins and minerals).  When chlorogenic acid meets alkaline baking conditions (i.e., if you add baking soda), it turns a dark green (see photo, below right).   This completely harmless effect happens after the cookies completely cool down (and increases with additional hours.)  Green cookies!  That sounded perfect for St. Patrick's day.  Well, except after I made the version using baking soda, I realized it really wasn't a happy bright green, but more of an ominous "something evil is growing in this cookie" dark mossy green.   The kids didn't seem to mind, but I wasn't sure that it was the most appetizing-looking cookie....maybe more appropriate for Halloween than St. Patrick's?  What do you think? In any case, if you'd like a more fluffy, softer cookie (or you just want to make green cookies!), add 1 tsp baking soda to the batter.  To reduce or eliminate the green effect in recipes that use baking soda, add a squeeze of lemon juice to counteract the alkalinity of the batter.  The green effect also happens with whole sunflower seeds.  Make our Irish Soda Bread and substitute sunflower seeds for raisins.  Let it cool or make it the night before - when you cut into it, you'll see green sunflower seeds!
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                     Regular vs. Baking soda recipe:
                                                                                                                                     What happens when sunflower butter
                                                                                                                                     meets baking soda?  Green cookies!
Sunflower Butter Cookies

1 16-oz jar Sunflower Butter (about 1 3/4 cups) at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt

1.) In a medium bowl, mix together the sunflower butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth.  The batter will slightly thicken after being mixed together.
2.) Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
3.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4.) Take walnut-size portions of the batter, lightly roll in hands and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet (I really love using a Silpat baking mat).  The batter will be very soft but holds together without being sticky.  Place cookies about 1-2 inches apart, as they will not spread much. 
5.) After filling the baking sheet, take a fork and make imprints on top of the cookies. If the fork sticks, dip the fork in sugar or just sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on each cookie before pressing the fork into it.
6.) Bake for 12 minutes.  Don't overbake these cookies! (err on the side of underbaking if in doubt) Allow cookies to cool.

Makes 30 cookies

For more info about us or our cookbooks, please visit our website at www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com.

PS. -  If you like sunflower seeds, you should also check out Trader Joe's Chocolate Sunflower Seed Drops,chocolate covered sunflower seeds with a naturally colored candy coating.  They're tasty and perfect for decorating cupcakes and cookies.