THIS BUTTER COMBINES BOTH ASPECTS OF MY FAVORITE childhood sandwich in a single spread. In addition to being terrific in all the applications you’re used to, I like to take it to potlucks, paired with a platter of crisp apple and pear slices (toss the fruit in a little lemon juice to prevent browning). It’s amazing how impressed people are by this slightly sweet, homemade peanut butter.
2 cups/290 g raw peanuts
3 tablespoons honey, divided
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C/gas 3. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Spread the peanuts on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey, toss evenly to coat and roast in the oven until the nuts are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring the peanuts at least twice during baking to ensure even roasting.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the peanuts cool for at least 10 minutes. When they’re cool enough to handle, pour the honey-roasted peanuts into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt and begin to run the processor.
As the motor runs and the peanuts break down, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil.
Continue to process in 20- to 30-second intervals, stopping the motor and removing the lid after each interval to break up any clumps and scrape down the sides of the processor.
When the contents of the bowl resemble peanut butter, stop the motor, remove the lid, and taste. Add the remaining tablespoon honey and ½ teaspoon salt only if you deem it necessary (the beauty of making your own nut butter is that you can make it just how you like it).
Scrape the peanut butter into a jar and store in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 1 month.