Blogging has run away from me lately. So much so that I wrote this post early last week and promptly forgot to hit the publish button. Yeah, it was a face-palm moment. Aaaanyway, we got there eventually…here we go! With the semester drawing to an end and essays piling high, blogging has slipped down a rung or two on the ladder of priorities. However, with an anthropology test looming tomorrow it’s reached the point at which one tosses flash cards into the air, collapses face first into the sofa and groans in exasperation. No. More. Revision. Baking thus becomes a knight in shining armour. A welcome distraction from structuralism, witchcraft and fraternal polyandry. It’s that productive type of procrastination – in the same league as obsessive cleaning or manic gardening. But wait, there’s more. Just to better it’s fellow contestants, flying past in the sprint to ‘number one’ procrastination, baking produces the ultimate reward. That’s right, an edible one.

These Peanut Cookies have been plucked from the yellowing pages of my grandmother’s handwritten recipe book. As wee children, my sister and I would stare at her cookie tin in the hope that it would magically open, her soft, chewy peanut cookies floating down to ‘small child level’. The addition of crunchy peanut butter emphasises the cookie’s chewy centre and provides an extra hit of rich, peanutty goodness. Crisp edges and a distinctive crunch from the nuts provide perfect milk dunking material – the awful hazard of cookie-collapsing-into-cup-of-milk/tea is significantly reduced. Rich, buttery and slightly salty, with just enough sweetness, these biscuits are a fantastic pick-me-up. Whether they be a welcome break from nightmarish study regimes or simply a ‘time-out’ from the general ebb and flow of daily activities, these Peanut Cookies will do the trick. With next-to-no preparation time you’ll not fall into the trap of ‘over-procrastinating’ (this leads to panic stations later on – not that we’re talking from experience!) Perfect with a cup of tea or glass of cold milk, you’ve got the option of working your inner grandma or cheeky child, depending on what the situation (i.e. your state of sanity) calls for. These Peanut Cookies have got you covered on all fronts. Get baking!

Peanut Cookies
Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (I used no-salt-added)
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups self raising flour
¾ cup salted peanuts, chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line two large baking trays with baking paper.

Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg, beating well after each addition.

Stir through the flour and chopped nuts until well combined.

Use damp hands to roll tablespoon sized chunks of the mixture into balls. Place, an inch apart, on the prepared baking trays and gently flatten with the palm of your hand (or a fork if you would like the grooved pattern).

Bake for 9-10 minute until just golden brown around the edges yet still soft on top. Leave to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Will keep in an airtight container for up to a week. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Source: Adapted from Granny Brampton’s recipe.

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