NUTTER BUTTERS

Peanut sitting on a stainless steel bench… along comes a rolling pin and… uh oh, nutter butter: peanut butter cookies filled with peanut butter frosting, a spoonful of peanut butter and salty caramel sauce. Toot toot!

MAKES 12 BISCUITS

PEANUT COOKIES

125 g (4½ oz) butter

100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

100 g (3½ oz) soft brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

225 g (8 oz) pastry flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

70 g (2½ oz) peanuts

Cream the butter and both sugars using electric beaters for about 5 minutes. Add the egg gradually, until well mixed and pale and creamy.

Add the sifted flour, baking powder and peanuts, being careful not to overmix. Roll the dough into two logs, about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about 1 hour, until firm; the dough can be made ahead and frozen for several weeks.Thaw until firm before cutting and baking.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC (300ºC/Gas 2). Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cut the logs into 24 slices about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, and space them apart on the baking trays, allowing room for a growth spurt in the oven. Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until an even golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the trays.

TO ASSEMBLE

50 g (1¾ oz) peanut butter, plus an extra 1 teaspoon for each biscuit

½ quantity of creamy vanilla frosting

100 ml (3½ fl oz) salty caramel

Add the 50 g (1¾ oz) of peanut butter to the frosting and mix thoroughly.

Pipe a ring of the peanut butter frosting around the edge of half the biscuits. Place 1 teaspoon peanut butter in the centre of each, top with a spoonful of salty caramel and add a second biscuit as a lid.

The biscuits will keep in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 1 week.