Too Much Peanut Butter

Some years ago, spoonfuls of peanut butter served on top of banana slices was one of the most popular dishes in my house.  Pre-teens loved it, and I got into the habit of buying large quantities of peanut butter.

Now those pre-teens are teenagers, and they wouldn’t be caught dead eating such a juvenile snack.  I guess I wasn’t paying attention to their change in eating habits when I stocked up on two 48-ounce jars of peanut butter.

What could I do with it?  First I made Peanut Butter Cookies, using my favorite recipe from my mother-in-law.  But it required just 1 cup peanut butter.  That meant I had 11 cups left.

After we polished off the cookies, I made Thai Chicken Pizza, which uses a peanut butter/hoisin sauce mixture instead of a tomato-based sauce.  That took care of another cup because I decided to double the sauce recipe and use the leftovers on spaghetti—a riff on Dan Dan Noodles. 

What else could I make using peanut butter?  How about Peanut Butter Cups?  I perfected my own version last year.  

Gado Gado, an Indonesian salad, features a spicy peanut sauce, as does Chicken Satay.

Somebody once served me a Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich, but it was overwhelmingly rich and cloying.  I will never eat that again.  I guess I’ll just make more cookies. 

Peanut Butter Cookies – makes 50-60 cookies 

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour 

Begin preheating the oven to 375 degrees.  Rub a baking sheet lightly with oil or use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to cover the bottom.  Set aside. 

Combine the butter and two sugars into the bowl of a food processor, mixer or large bowl and process or mix until smooth. 

Add the peanut butter, egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and process or mix until smooth.  Add the flour and process briefly or mix until it is incorporated. 

Press 1 heaping teaspoon into a small ball and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat until the baking sheet is holding 25-30 small balls.  Flatten each ball with the tines of a fork. 

Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies begin to brown.  Remove from the oven and let sit for several minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.

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