Nutter Butters

Peanut butter has been one of my favorite flavours since I was a small child. My fondest memory of the spread was when my mother used to make peanut butter sandwiches. She would use cookie cutters and she would cut out little pigs and rabbits for me to munch on. The only thing I didn't like was the bread!

This delicious flavour comes into play in these Nutter Butters (originally called Better Nutters), invented by Thomas Keller, who is the owner of Bouchon Bakery. These sandwich cookies are to die for! The peanut butter cream is silky smooth and has a beautifully delicate flavour. So get your sleeves rolled up and put on an apron because it's baking time!

Nutter Butters

Cookies

30g                                 unsalted peanuts, toasted
198g                               a.p flour
9g                                   baking soda
3.8g                                baking powder
210g                               unsalted butter, soft
86g                                 peanut butter
106g                               brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2tsp                          vanilla
106g                               oats

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder, whisk together. Place the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl. beat together on low speed  until it has the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the sugar and mix for a bout 2 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again. The mixture may look broken, but that is OK, beating too much can cause the cookies to expand too much and deflate.
Add the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds after each, or until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the oats and peanuts, stir to combine. Mound the dough onto saran wrap and form into a square. Wrap and place in fridge for at least 2 hours.
Unwrap the dough and place between two pieces of saran wrap, roll it out until it is 1/4" thick. Use a round cookie cutter and cut out the dough and place on a sheet lined with parchment paper.  Push the trimmings together and chill again until firm enough to roll out, repeat the same process.  Wrap the cookie lined sheets with saran wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make sure the cookies are arranged leaving about 2 inches between them. bake until golder brown, about 16-18 minutes. Once baked, place allow to cool completely.

Buttercream

75g                                     egg whites
150g + 33g                         sugar
42g                                     water
227g                                    unsalted butter, softened
175g                                    peanut butter
pinch                                   salt

Place the egg whites in a large bowl. Place the 150g sugar in small suacepan, add the water, and stir to moisten. bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, simmer until it reaches 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the syrup continue to cook. Turn on the mixer (with the egg whites) to medium speed, gradually add the remaining 33g sugar, and continue to beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. When the syrup reaches 248 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the pan from the heat. Turn the mixer to medium low speed and slowly add the syrup, making sure not to touch the side of the bowl or the whisk. Increase the speed and whisk for 15 minutes, or until the bottom of the bowl is at room temp.
Reduce speed and add the butter, a few pieces at a time. The mixture may look broken at this point, but that's OK. Add the peanut butter and salt, beat together. Cover the buttercream with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for a hour, until it stiffens. beat again after cooling. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe in a spiral on the back of half of the cookies. Place a bare cookie on top of the iced one and press down slightly. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Now, many of the recipes in this book, by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel have very long recipes, all very stunning and worth it in the end. This recipe is not to be made in an hour, it will take time as well as many other of their gorgeous recipes. I hope you try this recipe and buy their amazing book as well!


Elanne Boake