You’ve come a long way, peanut butter!
Long gone are the days where it was just seen as a breakfast nut spread
Peanut butter has come a long way from being just a humble breakfast nut spread.
While the classic peanut butter cookies, peanut butter on pancakes and peanut butter protein balls still abound, this healthy treat has also made its way to savoury dishes like vegetable satay curries, noodle salads and soups.
The popular nut butter spread’s protein content — an impressive 7.1 grams in just two tablespoons — along with its fibre (1.6 grams per two tablespoons), and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids make it a good snack for those looking to lose weight. It keeps you feeling full for longer and prevents you from overeating at your main meals.
Peanut butter is also great for improving heart health, reducing your risk of diabetes and preventing certain types of cancers, provided, of course, that you consume the stuff in moderation. Too much of a good thing can be bad for you.
ATLANTIC CANADIANS LOVE THEIR PEANUT BUTTER
For Joanne MacDougall, coowner of Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery in Halifax, N.S., her love for this crunchy or creamy goodness bloomed a little late in life.
“As a kid, I thought peanut butter was terrible and I only had jam sandwiches in my lunch. Today, I love the flavour of peanut butter, as well as the way it provides easy protein for my lunch,” she said.
MacDougall loves consuming peanut butter via desserts: peanut butter and chocolate Rice Krispie roll-ups or “just melted peanut butter drizzled over ice cream.” Her absolute favourite recipe, however, are peanut butter cheesecakes.
She was kind enough to share the how-to for one of Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery’s cheesecakes — mocha peanut butter.
“It has an Oreo crust and the cheesecake is infused with iced coffee and has mini chocolate chips in it,” said MacDougall. “After the cheesecake has baked and cooled, we top it with a peanut butter cream cheese icing. We make the icing by mixing 125 grams of cream cheese with one cup of icing sugar. Beat until smooth. Then melt a third to a half cup of peanut butter until it is liquid. Stir it into the icing. It’s delicious! Whatever doesn’t go on the cheesecake can be used to dip apple slices for a fantastic snack.”
Erin and Adam Good of Mrs. Goodies Cakes and Cookies in Paradise, N.L., think peanut butter can elevate cupcakes in a myriad ways. From infusing it into the frosting for a tasty topping to adding it to the cupcake batter itself to create a marbled effect, there really is no limit, shared the entrepreneurs.
“Another option is using peanut butter as a filling for the inside. We cut the middles out of the cupcake and inject PB filling, which adds depth and complexity to the cupcake. (However) less is more, due to the strong tasting nature of PB.”
Safe to say, there was no dearth of dessert recipes when we asked Atlantic Canadians. Jody Way of Dartmouth, N.S., recommended Buckeyes (peanut
butter fudge candy balls dipped in chocolate)
So we thought we’d compile some of them.
How to make Mbeba family breakfast cookies
Melissa Mbeba, a professional baker and co-owner of Delectable Desserts Inc. in Dartmouth, N.S., loves peanut butter, too.
“There is something about the smell and taste of peanut butter that brings comfort, whether it’s in a dessert or added to a savoury dish,” she said.
The most creative recipe she’s ever made using this nut butter is also one she makes regularly.
“I first made a batch of these cookies to prove to my husband that I would actually use the overripe bananas that I had stockpiled in the freezer.”
Since then, Mbeba has turned to the recipe at least once every month.
“They are perfect for hiking or camping, a quick and filling breakfast or an on-the-go
snack. Bonus, they are dairyfree, vegan, gluten-free, and healthy,” she said.
What you’ll need:
7 ripe bananas (fresh or previously frozen), peeled and mashed
5 cups of oats
2 cups of smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt
2/3 cup of dark chocolate chips
Optional: A handful of unsweetened coconut, seeds, or dried cranberries.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until everything is combined and has a cookie dough-like texture.
Scoop cookie portions onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press down each scoop to flatten.
Bake until the edges brown — about 12-15 minutes — and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Once cool, cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
MORE UNUSUAL PEANUT BUTTER-BASED RECIPES
Veering away from desserts and onto slightly more “unusual” recipes, we were intrigued by several P.E.I. and Nova Scotia residents who chimed in with West African Peanut Soup. The recipe below is from cookieandkate.com. What you’ll need:
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 onion, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
1 bunch collard greens (or kale), chopped into strips
3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter
1/2 cup tomato paste
Hot sauce (sriracha or something similar)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Directions:
In a medium stock pot, combine vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil before adding onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium heat for just under half an hour.
In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Then add around one to two cups of the stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture until smooth and pour the contents into the stock pot, mixing well as you go. Add the collard greens to the soup. Season with hot sauce as you like. Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes while stirring often. Serve the soup over cooked brown rice or consume it as is with some chopped peanuts sprinkled over top.