Nutty peanut butter cookies

I had a craving for peanut butter the other day and it didn't go away. Then I remembered I bought a jar of Meridian natural peanut butter a while ago and it was still sitting in the cupboard. The recipe I'm using here is straightforward and easier than a piece of cake (wink wink). Because Meridian has stopped using palm oil in their products, the natural oils from the nuts will separate in the jar. Storing the jar lid-side down allows the oils to distribute evenly throughout the jar.

Nutty peanut butter cookies

Ingredients

Batter

1 C crunchy peanut butter, natural (preferably organic), unsalted

⅓ C organic honey

1 free range egg (extra large), lightly beaten

½ tsp baking soda

⅛ tsp pink salt

¼ tsp vanilla bean paste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line a baking sheet or two with silicon mats or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey, baking soda, and salt.
3. Stir in the beaten egg, in 2-3 batches.
4. Mix in the vanilla. Make sure all the ingredients are fully combined and a thick, gooey batter forms. Let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes.
5. Using a tablespoon, form the batter into small balls (around 20g each) and place on the lined sheets. (This recipe yields around 22 cookies.)
6. Using a fork, press down on the balls to flatten. Use the tines of the fork to create a ribbed or crosshatch pattern on the cookies.
   
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, switching the sheets halfway through baking.
8. Let cool on the sheets for 2 minutes before transferring onto a rack to cool completely. 
9. Store the cookies in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.
   

These cookies are quite delicate so they have a tendency to crumble. But the flavour is amazing! Smooth peanut butter would work, too, but by using the crunchy variety, I didn't have to add in nuts or chocolate chips/cocoa nibs for texture. It's a hit for me. I have a jar of hazelnut butter sitting the cupboard as well. Perhaps I will use it to make a batch of hazelnut cookies.