Busy days, busy minds leave little time…however when you have a desire to experiment in the kitchen you have to indulge it…so I seized the moment and did a little baking;
Random conversations at work lead me to sampling a spoonful of peanut butter, a spread that had never been added to my toast before. Sainsbury’s magazine featured peanut butter cookies – it seemed fate; peanut butter plus cookie recipe;
‘Quick, easy and tasty!’
Smooth was the butter of choice, but crunch would work and in fact would add a great texture. When publishing this blog, I noticed a Guardian piece from yesterday where they experimented by adding seeds, fruits and chocolate. I kept it simple, having tasted them I can see that the extras would work, but why spoil simple indulgence. Here is the recipe – they are delicious and can definitely recommend them as post pub snack, hmmm;
Peanut butter cookie recipe
Preparation time: 10 – 15 mins | Cook: 12 – 15 mins
- 125g butter
- 200g light brown soft sugar
- 1 large egg
- Vanilla (2 drops of extract / seeds of 1 pod)
- 200g flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 300g peanut butter (smooth & crunchy)
- Peanuts (optional for sprinkling on top)
How to bake peanut butter cookies
- In between the sheets – Soften butter by placing in between sheets of baking paper and bashing it with a rolling pin, much better than warming in a microwave.
- Cream it – Use a fork to cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl.
- Egg and indulgence – Add the egg and vanilla to the butter sugar mix and stir well
- Flour it up – Stir in the flour, baking power and bicarbonate of soda, little at a time, makes it easier.
- Nuts anyone? – Mix peanut butter until smooth.
- Great balls of dough– Form dough into balls
- Squish – Flatten the dough balls and make patterns, only if you want to, I forked ’em
- Tan in the over – Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, once done turn out onto a wire tray to cool – before yum time!
- The dough spreads, I mean really spreads so leave plenty of room on each baking tray and maybe only place 5 or 6 balls per tray – believe me the first batch came out in one solid mass!
- Also don’t over bake, if they are firm to the touch they will be like concrete when they cool. Make sure the biscuits are soft when they come out; I promise they will firm up when cooling.