Peanut Butter Cookies

Taken from Sweet Seasons by Michael James and Pippa James (Hardie Grant, £26)

This cookie has been a long-time labour of love. The sought-after result has been elusive – light, crisp, full of peanut butter flavour but without the gluey texture that peanut butter sometimes gives. And this is it. These have more of a shortbread texture than a traditional American cookie, and they’re very moreish. American bakers may know them as Nutter Butters.

You want good aeration in the dough to achieve a light cookie that spreads well during baking. Cream the butter and sugar for at least 10 minutes, and be gentle when folding in the oats and peanut butter to maintain that lightness in the dough.

These cookies are sensational on their own, but a peanut butter cookie just about begs to be made into a sandwich. A swipe of strawberry or raspberry jam between two cookies makes the ultimate wicked snack.

Makes 15 cookies

• 175 g (6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)
• 65 g (21?4 oz) rolled oats
• 90 g (3 oz) raw caster (superfine) sugar
• 90 g (3 oz) soft brown sugar
• 135 g (5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 1?2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1?4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 90 g (3 oz) chunky peanut butter (unsalted or lightly salted)

Melt 60 g (2 oz) of the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. If using vanilla bean, scrape the pulp and seeds into the butter as it melts. (If using vanilla extract, add it with the oats.) Add the oats and lightly toast them for 4–5 minutes, until light golden in colour. Once toasted, set the oats aside while you make the cookie dough.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the remaining butter with the sugars for 10 minutes on medium–high speed, until pale and creamy. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and then gently fold into the butter mixture. Fold in the oats, and finally the peanut butter, until just combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 160°C (320 ?F). Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Portion the dough into pieces about 20 g (3/4 oz) each – you should have 30 pieces in total. Roll each piece into a ball, then roll them back and forth on the bench, tapering one end to form a teardrop shape, with a slightly pointed end. Take two of these pieces and place them together with the points just touching. Using the palm of your hand, apply even pressure to flatten both pieces, so the adjacent ends join together, creating a peanut shape. Use a sharp knife to gently score a criss-cross pattern over the top, resembling peanut shell markings. Repeat with the remaining pieces, and place your prepared cookies onto the baking trays.

Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the trays and bake for another 4–6 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden. Set aside to cool on the tray. Once cool, these cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.