The Nut Butter Cookbook

You can make the cookie dough in advance and chill it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the cookies, or you can even keep some in the freezer.

MAKES APPROX. 16 COOKIES

PREP 15 MINUTES

CHILL 2 HOURS

COOK 15 MINUTES

200g (7oz/scant 1 cup) cashew butter

200g (7oz/scant 1 cup) butter at room temperature

150g (5oz/¾ cup) demerara sugar

seeds from 1 split vanilla pod

2 medium free-range eggs

300g (10oz/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1½ tsp crunchy sea salt flakes

200g (7oz/1¼ cups) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate chips

Beat the cashew butter, butter, sugar and vanilla seeds together until light, fluffy and creamy. It’s best to use a hand-held electric whisk or a food mixer for this. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and then add the flour, baking powder, cocoa and sea salt flakes. Keep beating until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, distributing them throughout the mixture.

Use your hands to roll the dough into a ball and remove from the bowl. Wrap it up in a large piece of baking parchment, twisting the ends of the paper to enclose it, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, better still, overnight until firm.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan)/325°F/gas 3. Line two baking trays (cookie sheets) with baking parchment.

Cut the dough into 16 equal portions and roll each one into a ball. Place them in rows on the lined baking trays, leaving a little space in between. Press down lightly on each ball to spread it out into a circle.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until cooked, golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Cool on a wire rack and store in a tin, jar or other airtight container for up to 1 week.