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Peanut Butter Cookies

Also known as Peanut Butter Cookies (Nigerian-Style)

Nigerian Peanut Butter Cookies apply the beloved Nigerian groundnut flavour to the Western cookie format, creating a baked treat that is simultaneously familiar to Nigerian palates and genuinely exciting as a home-baked confection. The generous quantity of groundnut paste used in these cookies produces an intensely nutty, richly flavoured cookie with a satisfying crunch and a deep, toasted peanut aroma that fills the kitchen during baking.

Peanut Butter Cookies, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 big cup of natural unsweetened groundnut paste (peanut butter) — ideally made from freshly roasted Nigerian groundnuts
  • A big cooking spoon of butter, softened
  • 1 big cup of sugar
  • 1 big egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • Half a teaspoon of baking soda
  • A pinch of salt
  • 1 big cup of plain flour
  • A handful of roasted groundnuts, roughly chopped — for texture

Method

  1. 01

    Creaming Butter and Sugar. Beat softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the groundnut paste and beat until all 3 are thoroughly combined and creamy.

  2. 02

    Adding Wet Ingredients. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat well until smooth.

  3. 03

    Adding Dry Ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold together until just combined. Add the roughly chopped roasted groundnuts and fold through for texture.

  4. 04

    Shaping and Pressing. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough between your palms. Place on a greased baking tray leaving space between each. Press each ball flat with the tines of a fork in a crosshatch pattern — this creates the classic peanut cookie appearance and ensures even baking.

  5. 05

    Baking. Bake in a preheated oven at a moderate heat for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will look slightly underbaked when you remove them — this is correct. They firm up dramatically as they cool.

  6. 06

    Cooling. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. They must be completely cool before storing.

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