Granite Kitchen: Peanut butter goodness three ways

Peanut butter can even be turned into diamonds — that is if you can replicate the heat and pressure of the Earth’s mantle. When subjected to the right conditions, carbon-rich peanut butter can be made into one of the earth’s hardest and most valuable substances.

I love experimenting in my kitchen but I won’t be turning a jar of Skippy into a sparkling diamond pendant any time soon. However, some of my recent kitchen experiments did yield some fantastic results.

Since everyone in my house loves cookies, I made a batch of peanut butter oatmeal cookies instead of my usual regular peanut butter cookies. We all agreed they were chewier than the other recipe I typically use so they were definitely a winner.

I had a chocolate-nut pie crust leftover from my recent pie-making extravaganza so I used it to make a peanut butter pie. If you haven’t had peanut butter pie before, it’s a real treat.

To top it off, I made a marshmallow whipped cream by whipping some Fluff in to freshly whipped cream hoping to mimic a Fluffernutter sandwich, a childhood favorite of mine.

It was a hit at Thanksgiving. I made two pies for the holiday dinner table — one pumpkin, one peanut butter. No one touched the pumpkin pie.

Finally, my husband loves fudge and talked me in to making some peanut butter fudge. As I was making it, I realized it would make a lovely holiday gift from the kitchen to give to neighbors, so I added a peanut butter fudge-making session to my holiday baking schedule.

Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 cup butter

16-ounce bag brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Add the butter to a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the brown sugar and milk and stir well.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and peanut butter and mix well.

Transfer the peanut butter mixture to a large bowl and add the powdered sugar. Beat well with an electric mixer until smooth, then pour the mixture into an 8-by-8-inch baking dish and set in the refrigerator. Chill the mixture for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until firm, before slicing.

Peanut Butter Pie

9-inch pie crust, such as graham cracker or chocolate nut

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add the whipping cream and cream of tartar to a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and salt. Beat together with an electric mixer until well combined.

Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Transfer the mixture to the pie dish and spread in an even layer.

Set in a refrigerator to chill for three to four hours or until the center is set. Serve with marshmallow whipped cream, if desired.

Marshmallow Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

3/4 cup Marshmallow Fluff

Add the whipping cream and vanilla to a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until thickened and peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and Marshmallow Fluff. Beat for about one minute to combine.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add the oats, flour, baking soda and salt to a bowl and stir together.

In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Beat together until well combined.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.

Use a spatula to combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon a heaping tablespoonful of dough on to the cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining dough, leaving space for the cookies to spread out.

Set the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are browned on the edges. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.