Carmen Long
Simply Delicious
Many of us have favorite foods we eat during the month of November. My favorite probably isn’t included on your traditional list to enjoy this month: peanut butter. November is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month. As much as my family and I love peanut butter, I think it is worth celebrating!
Growing up, peanut butter suckers (peanut butter on a spoon) were one of my favorite snacks. Peanut butter sandwiches, combined with honey or marshmallow cream, frequented my lunch box. We loved peanut butter cookies, peanut butter candy, and really anything else that is made with this versatile product. I have never tried a peanut butter recipe I didn’t like.
Thankfully, peanuts have nutritional value, containing more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals. At seven grams of protein per 1.5 ounce serving (about three tablespoons), peanuts, technically legumes, have more protein than any other nut and are a good source of fiber and healthy fats. The challenge is to not eat too much of a good thing. Measure your peanuts into snack-size storage bags, rather than eating out of the container, to watch your serving sizes.
Peanuts are grown commercially in 13 states with Georgia at the lead, producing nearly 50 percent of all US-grown peanuts. I was proud to see North Carolina ranks in the top five, growing 8 percent. It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
We always had two jars of peanut butter in our house, one crunchy and one smooth. My mom is the crunchy lover, and my dad prefers smooth. He always says, “why would you want to tear holes in your bread trying to spread crunchy peanut butter?” Evidently, I spread softer than he does, since I too enjoy the crunchy variety and don’t end up with holes in my bread. My husband, on the other hand, prefers smooth, so we too boast two jars of peanut butter in our pantry.
According to the National Peanut Board, most women, children, and people living on the East Coast prefer creamy peanut butter, while men and those living on the West Coast choose crunchy. Whichever you choose, Americans are eating enough peanut butter each year to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon. I had the chance to visit the Grand Canyon in September and it is huge. That is a lot of peanut butter.
I hope you will enjoy one of my family’s peanut butter favorites as we all work towards consuming the American average of 4.4 pounds peanut butter per person per year, according to the National Peanut Board. This recipe will not only add to your holiday celebrations, but will make any day special.
For more interesting facts about peanuts and peanut butter, visit the National Peanut Board website at http://national peanutboard.org
Source: National Peanut Board
Peanut Butter Pie
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 baked pie crust (8 or 9 inch)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups milk
- 1 large Tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 egg yolks
- Whipped topping
Mix together powdered sugar and 1/3 cup of peanut butter to form crumbs. Spread half of the crumbs in the baked pie crust.
Blend sugar and cornstarch together and add milk and egg yolks to make the filling. Cook until thick in a heavy saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently. (Alternatively, you can also cook it in the microwave in a large glass bowl, stirring every two minutes, until thickened.) Add vanilla and a large tablespoon of peanut butter, stirring well. Pour pudding mixture over the crumbs in the pie crust. Cool. Top with whipped topping and remaining crumbs when ready to serve. Garnish with grated chocolate or chocolate syrup if desired. This is also delicious in a chocolate cookie crust!
This recipe is from the Noble County Indiana Extension Homemakers’ Cookbook. My grandmother was a member there for over 50 years.
Mom’s Basic Pie Crust
Makes one (1) 9-inch pie crust
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 Tablespoons cold water
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the shortening into the flour and salt until the particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost clings to the side of the bowl.
2. Gather pastry into a ball and shape into a flattened round on lightly floured cloth or wax paper. Roll pastry two inches larger than the inverted pie plate with a flour-covered rolling pin.
3. Fold the pastry into fourths, unfold and ease it into the pie plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
4. Trim the overhanging edge of pastry and crimp the edges.
5. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Prick the sides and bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
