Half-term boredom buster - crunchy peanut butter cookies

I have been making these little cookies for years and I still go back to them time and time again.

I came across the recipe when I was living at home with my parents.
When I first started taking an interest in baking I would flick through my mum's cookery books and look for something easy to try.

The book which this recipe came from has been my bible ever since.
It was written my Rosemary Wadey and published in 1979 (five years before I was even born) and it literally includes everything you need to know about baking and cake decorating.

My mum probably thinks she’s lost this book – sorry mum, I’ve had it all this time.

The peanut butter cookies have always been an easy option because I pretty much always have a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard, crunchy of course.
I just love the stuff. But the taste of peanut butter isn’t overwhelming in these biscuits, it is light and very subtle.

If you’re a parent with young children and are looking for something to keep them entertained over the Easter holidays, this recipe is a great one to try with the kids.

They’ll love rolling the dough into little balls (your hands do get quite greasy), and they will love the sweet and crunchy taste.

If you’re not a parent, try this recipe anyway for yourself. The cookies are really quick and easy and they go nicely with a cuppa.

Ingredients

50g/2oz crunchy peanut butter

50g/20z margarine

Grated rind of half an orange

50g/2oz caster sugar

40g/1.5oz light soft brown sugar

½ beaten egg
40g raisins or sultanas, chopped

100g self-raising flour, sifted

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and put a sheet of greaseproof paper onto a baking tray.

Put the peanut butter, margarine, orange rind and sugars into a mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg then add the dried fruit and flour, and mix to make a fairly firm dough. (You can do this part in a food processor or mixer if you wish.)

Roll into balls about the size of a large walnut and place well apart on the baking tray. Slightly flatten using a fork in a criss-cross pattern, or use a blunt knife.

Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes or until risen and light golden brown.