Sunflower Butter Cookies (substitute for Peanut Butter Cookies) Recipe

Preheat your oven to 375°. Lightly grease your cookie sheet or you can line your sheet with parchment paper. Cream together shortening, sunflower butter, sugars, applesauce, and vanilla. You can do this by hand or by using a stand-up mixer or a hand mixer. In a separate medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Add flour mixture to sunflower butter mixture and blend together until well combined. You can bake this cookie immediately, or you can place the dough into the refrigerator and use as needed. Drop by tablespoon size balls using a scooper or a spoon. Flatten down about 1/4" thick. Bake in the oven for about 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer cookies from cookie sheet to a cooling rack.

Optional: If you do not have a peanut allergy/intolerance you can substitute the sunflower butter with peanut butter.