Peanut Butter

There is something deeply satisfying about making your own peanut butter. My husband eats a LOT of peanut butter so it only makes sense to make it at home because the price of peanut butter in Iceland is RIDICULOUS. My husband goes to the gym 5 times a week, he can "afford" to scoff down some peanut butter without a bad conscience which is why he eats a lot and I don't want to take out a second mortgage just to buy it! Peanut butter has received a lot of bad press throughout the years and this is mostly due to misunderstanding (this is what all the bad guys say as well right?). Peanut butter and peanut butter are two different things which means that you can buy good stuff and really nasty stuff. The big brand commercially produced peanut butter is packed with sugar, trans fats, additives (preservatives and sometimes even flavouring and colours) so stay well away from it. The good stuff includes organic peanuts and a minimum amount of good quality oil and perhaps some salt. Peanut butter is actually very good for you (in moderation of course, I am not saying you should deep fry it like a rock star) because it contains protein, niacin, antioxidants and manganese which is very good for your heart and can even prevent the formation of gall stones. They are also good "brain fuel". It is very easy to make peanut butter at home as long as you have a decent food processor. Just so that you don't overdo it, divide the mixture into two or three parts so that your machine will be happier. We can't buy unsalted peanuts in Iceland so I first have to rinse the salt off the peanuts, drain them, then toast them in the oven for 10-15 minutes (at 150 degrees Celsius/300 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 2) before grinding. It sounds like hard work but whenever I am in the shop I can look smugly at the organic peanut butter (that must be made of gold considering the price).

I use peanut butter in smoothies, cookies, cakes, ice creams and on top of bread and biscuits and it is also excellent on hikes as it keeps for ages. Just be careful when you serve very young children peanut butter, they might be severely allergic. Did you know that the peanut is actually a species of the legume family?