Dearest Jack – Would You Like Another Peanut Cookie?

Of course I was absolutely determined to bake from the heart for THE 2021 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF FESTIVAL OF LOVE. You may have seen my attempt at Greek baking for my beloved Jack yesterday – baklava! I have all the ingredients to make him galaktoboureko as well (yes, it is a very real thing, I am not making it up!)

However….well, I suddenly had a thought earlier this week. There was one recipe which suddenly seemed absolutely essential. There is a story behind it. In fact, quite a long story, which I will not relate right now, because it just takes to long. But when I began this blog, three and a half years ago, one of the very first posts I wrote was this one:

PEANUT-BUTTER COOKIES (THAT’S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLED)

Back at the height of the stress between the two of us, Jack and I had a slight misunderstanding over a batch of peanut butter cookies I had baked. Now believe you me, the issue was not him eating the whole batch in one evening, of course not. Some of you may remember that when I started blogging, Jack and I were estranged, after a lot of hurt, a lot of drama, a lot of trauma. In addition, I was in love with Goldfinch, who helped me very much to enjoy romance again.

However, I always did believe in the power of love. I had no great expectations when it came to Jack, I just hoped that one day, we would be at peace. Well, things happened!!! Yes, things happened indeed, and now Jack and I are planning our wedding! All down to this crazy little thing called love!

So in honour of love, love, love, I realized that I just had to find my recipe for peanut cookies again, I just had to bake another batch of peanut cookies for my Jack! And here it is!!!

Ingredients

• 125g softened butter (I used unsalted)
• 150g crunchy peanut butter
• 225g granulated sugar
• 1 egg – lightly beaten
• 150g plan flour
• half a teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 7g unsalted peanuts – chopped
• demerara sugar for sprinkling (optional)

These are so much easier to make than baklava!!

I started by mixing together the butter and peanut butter, and then adding the granulated sugar slowly, beating it so that the mixture is smooth. Then I gradually combined the beaten egg.

Next, I sieved the flour, baking powder and salt into the peanut butter mixture. The chopped peanuts were last into the bowl, and at that point, the mixture was easy to bring together as a soft dough.

The dough needs to be wrapped up in some baking parchment and chilled in the fridge for about half an hour. In the meantime I greased a baking tray.

Then I devided the dough into around twenty small balls. I can only fit nine cookies on a tray (I only have one tray!) They need slightly flattening before they bake. I also sprinkled them with a little demerara sugar, as this makes them look sparkly and gives them a crunchy bite. As you can see, they spread out and become large cookies!

They need just fifteen minutes in the oven on 190°C /Gas Mark 5.

It was such a pleasure to be able to say to Jack, “I baked these for you!” In fact, it is so truly wonderful to be able to love him, and bake for him, and give to him and to plan to do so forever! It was such a rocky road for us – but love won!!!

I have learnt so much about love – about patience, about forgiveness, about endurance, about sacrifice – and it is still amazing to me, that love could not be beaten even by years of hurt. Love won.

And now….I breathe in love each day, like never before. Love has healed so much pain and brought so much joy as well as hope for the future.