Easy Peasy Peanut Butter

My sister, Kolette, has a friend.  We'll call her Shari, because well, her name is Shari.  Shari is famous, at least around the Indio/Bermuda Dunes/La Quinta area, for her homemade peanut butter.  She'll whip up a batch in her Vitamix (drool, drool) and then give some to my sister who hoards it in the back of her refrigerator.  She won't even share it with her kids.  Selfish?  Maybe.  Smart?  Definitely.

While I was visiting Kolette during the summer we stopped by Shari's house so she could pick up a fresh batch of peanut butter.  My sister put me in charge of the container with express instructions not to drop it, shake it, taste it, or even look at it.  I was gingerly holding it in my lap when my curiosity got the better of me.  I sneaked a sideways glance at my sister.  She was busy focusing on the road.  So I ever so slowly undid the lid and dipped my finger into the peanut butter.  I turned a little towards the window, so she couldn't see what I was doing and I sucked that peanut butter off my finger as fast as I could!

It was like a party in my mouth!  DELICIOUS!  CREAMY!  SWEET AND SALTY!  Oh, it was so so good!

I popped the lid back on a little to fast and my sister (who has a canines sense of hearing, great now I'm going to get in trouble for comparing her to a dog) whipped her head around, took one look at my face, and she knew.  I quickly felt my face for any signs of stray peanut butter, nothing. How could she possibly know?!?!  Oh, but she did!  The guilt must have shown on my face clear as day! 

She grasped the container out of my hands and ripped off the lid.  There was my finger indent.  Mocking me.  Proving my guilt.  I hung my head in shame, as my sister threatened me with never tasting that glorious peanut butter again!

Being the loving sister that she is, Kolette later relented and allowed me to share Shari's peanut butter with her.  I was allowed one spoonful a day.  Isn't she kind...

Knowing that I wasn't going to get my fill from Kolette's stash, I went straight to the source and asked Shari what the recipe was.  She said, "Oh you know, I throw in some cashews, some peanuts, and a little bit of brown sugar, that's all."  I thought that sounded easy enough so when I got home I decided to give it a try.

Now, I'm a measurement kind of girl, so I came up with a recipe using the ingredients that she gave me.  It's really sweet, simple, and to the point.

First, pull out your handy dandy food processor or if you're really lucky, your Vitamix.  Shari does hers in a Vitamix and it comes out super creamy.  I only have a lowly food processor, so mine doesn't come out quite as creamy but it's still pretty smooth.

Next, grab your ingredients: Cashews, Peanuts, and Brown Sugar.

If you're trying to be good, like us, you can substitute the brown sugar with the Splenda Brown Sugar Blend.  When I use Splenda I do cut the measurement in half because it's a little sweeter.

Put 1 cup cashews, 1 cup peanuts, and 1/2 cup brown sugar (or 1/4 cup if you're using Splenda) into your food processor bowl.  Put the lid on and pulse away.

Grind up those nuts really good.  Keep pulsing.

Take a break and use a spatula to get the nuts down off the side and up from the bottom.  Then do some more pulsing!

Pretty soon it goes from looking like graham crackers crumbs to real peanut butter.  When it starts to ball up, you're almost there.

See how it's all balled up and creamy looking?  Yep, looks good to me!

It should be warm and creamy.  Scrape it out with a spatula and put it in a tupperware container with a lid.  Store it in the refrigerator.  (It stays good FOREVER, when stored correctly.)

And there you have it!  Easy Peasy Peanut Butter!

Dave does NOT like to run out of this.  In fact I get in trouble if I allow our household to be without it for any extended period of time. (extended, like 1 day!) 

Big thanks to Shari for sharing her recipe and to my sister, Kolette.  Your selfish peanut butter hoarding tendencies motivated me to learn how to make my own and to you I will be forever grateful!

Now, go make yourself some yummy homemade Peanut Butter!

Enjoy!

And, your welcome!

Easy Peasy Peanut Butter

1 cup cashews

1cup peanuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

or 

1/4 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

Pulse in food processor or Vitamix to desired consistency.   

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