The Chef Hermes Blog

The Pâté of Childhood, Peanut Butter

Posted by chefhermes on August 21, 2011 · 1 Comment 

Peanut butter is one of the foods that most people have grown up with, crunchy or smooth, it didn’t really matter. But as you grow older it somehow seems to get left behind, like the tatty security blanket or the teddy bear that has seen better days.

The history of the origins of Peanut butter is somewhat clouded, with many claiming that the Aztec Native Americans were the first, many hundreds of years ago. What can be verified is that Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec, Canada seems to have held what was one of the first patents in relation to peanut butter in 1884. In 1895 Dr Kellogg (yes him of the cornflake fame) also claimed a US patent for the production of Nutmeal. Joseph L. Rosefield is later credited with inventing smooth peanut butter, which he licensed to the Pond Company in 1928. Such is the popularity now of peanut butter that half of all edible peanuts produced in the United States go to producing the spread or related peanut spreads.

And so to the recipes, as usual they have all been tested & used in accoladed professional kitchens.

Iced Peanut Butter Sandwich

• 20 Egg yolks
• 400g Sugar
• 200ml Water
• 1L Double cream
• 360g Crunchy peanut butter

Combine the sugar & water and boil to 118c (soft ball).

Whisk cream until it reaches soft peaks, heat the peanut butter to make more pliable.

Pour the sugar syrup, in a slow steady stream onto the egg yolks whilst whisking on a high speed. Continue to whisk on a medium until the sabayon is cool.

Fold all 3 mixes together & decant into a tray lined with a thin chocolate sponge & then top with a 2nd layer of thin chocolate sponge, freeze for a minimum of 6hours before using.

The next recipe originally started life I believe on the Ideas in Food blog but then appeared on the eGullet food forum during the course of conversation on espumas & foams with soda syphons. Of course I’ve had a play and replaced one of the ingredients with honey as I felt it was a better finish for what I was looking for.

Egg free Peanut Butter Custard & Espuma

• 200g Clear Honey
• 1010g Whole milk (Weight rather than measured in ml)
• 7.1g Iota carrageenan
• 1.4 g Kappa carrageenan
• 200g Creamy peanut butter
• 4g Fine sea salt

Blend iota and kappa with honey and 25% of the milk-blend until hydrated, put in saucepan.

Add rest of the milk and bring to 85°C

Warm the peanut butter then add with salt to saucepan, combine fully.

Pour into soda syphon or into greased molds if just making custard

Let it set in canister in fridge without cap on for a couple of hours – this gives you a better texture

Add 2 charges shaking vigorously after each, then chill for a further hour before using.

Next up is a quick & easy cookie recipe from the Mandarin Oriental, London.

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1250g Butter
• 2000g Light brown sugar
• 1250g Crunchy peanut butter
• 50ml Vanilla extract
• 10 Eggs
• 1250g Plain flour

Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla extract slowly (if curdles/ splits add heat to recover).
Then add flour whilst mixing.
Wrap and refrigerate before using. When set firm, slice & bake at 175°C for 10-12 minutes.