Follow Me Foodie to National Peanut Butter Day!
It’s Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!
What? Are you serious? There’s a National Peanut Butter Day? Um, you mean you didn’t know? Just kidding! I actually just discovered the news yesterday, since yesterday was National Pie Day. What? Don’t tell me you didn’t know it was National Pie Day!? (*Ahem* Sh*t Foodies Say) But yes, yesterday was National Pie Day and today is National Peanut Butter Day, and tomorrow is what I thought was Wednesday… but now that I think, I think it’s National Pretzel Day. Oh no, sorry, that’s actually April 26. Geez, how could I mess that one up! Forgive me.
So how am I celebrating National Peanut Butter Day? Well actually how is anybody celebrating National Peanut Butter Day? I feel like it’s banned from almost every school nowadays. It’s funny because in China peanut allergies are extremely rare. Everything is cooked in peanut oil and peanuts are so common that people are likely immune to the allergy there. It’s almost like how Japanese women still eat raw fish when they’re pregnant and French women still each unpasteurized cheese. Anyways there are your “anti-peanutters” and then there are your peanut butter lovers! This post caters to the latter.
Personally, I’m not particularly crazy about peanut butter although I do like it! I eat it, I buy it and I order stuff with it, but I’m not a “must find the best peanut butter cookie ever” person… oh my gosh… *insert clip art for light bulb here*… I must find the best peanut butter cookie ever! Okay, so I’d still be up for the challenge and I think I’m just obsessed with food in general. It could be an obsessive compulsive thing, but that’s what makes this Follow Me Foodie! So here we go!
Note: These aren’t necessarily “the best”, but they’re good enough to remember and I’d gladly purchase them all over again!
Follow Me Foodie to Everything and Anything Peanut Butter!
Monkey Butter
Oh gosh. If you don’t like peanut butter, you will now! It’s homemade gourmet peanut butter that started in Vancouver by two sisters Kathleen and Gillian Gook. It’s a home business and you can only order online or through e-mail at the moment.
I discovered Monkey Butter at the One of a Kind Show in Vancouver over the holidays. I ended up sampling their six flavours: White Chocolate Raspberry peanut butter, Dark Chocolate Cherry peanut butter, White Chocolate Pretzel peanut butter, Dark Chocolate Banana peanut butter, Salted Caramel peanut butter and Maple Bacon peanut butter and ended up buying them all.
Personally my favourites were the White Chocolate Pretzel peanut butter which actually has little bits of crispy pretzels in it, the Salted Caramel peanut butter which is as good as it sounds, and the Maple Bacon peanut butter which has little bits of bacon in it. All of them have a great salty and sweet balance and they’re good enough to say goodbye to jam. Actually I didn’t even need the bread… a spoon was enough.
Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: Try heating some up and pouring it over ice cream.
Peanut Butter Hedgehog
The Peanut Butter Hedgehog cake ($7 slice, Whole cake $34-39) from Giovane Cafe + Bakery + Deli is pretty much what peanut butter and chocolate dreams are made of. This is Giovane’s most popular cake and it’s a Reece’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cup in gourmet cake form. It’s super thick, rich, creamy, moussey and indulgent cake. It’s almost a one biter, but it’s possibly one of the best peanut butter and chocolate bites you’ll ever have.
The Peanut Butter Sandwich
So I mentioned that peanut butter cookie search in my introduction, and not that I’ve started it, but this Peanut Butter Sandwich would be a serious contender! Butter Bakery is responsible for this over sized traditional peanut butter cookie that tastes “just like Grandma’s”. (If you think your grandma’s peanut butter cookie can compete, I’d like to meet her). “It’s two big soft peanut butter cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling… for serious peanut butter lovers” $2.75. They offer it in chocolate as well.
Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I actually buy both, twist it like an Oreo and then swap the cookies so I have half chocolate and half peanut butter. Warm it up and eat it with banana ice cream or vanilla ice cream 😉
Peanut Polvoron
I recently professed my love for Polvoron. They’re Filipino shortbread cookies made from toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar cooked and then molded. The most famous ones are the house made ones from Goldilocks. Although Pinipig (Crispy Rice) Polovrons are my favourite, the peanut kind is also great! They taste like peanut butter shortbread cookies, but drier, softer, nuttier and much creamier.
PB&J Bon Bons
Deep fried peanut butter anyone? PB&J Bon Bons is a heavy dessert I had the pleasure on trying at Local 360 in Seattle. They’re super indulgent and more than one was enough for me. Thank goodness it was served with a shot glass of milk because I felt like Mr. Ed the talking horse. They’re good if I stop at one.
Peanut Butter Crunch Bar
This Peanut Butter Crunch Bar is actually from Cactus Club Cafe. It’s one of my favourite desserts and it used to be served with sour cream ice cream when they first introduced the Rob Feenie menu. It’s now served with traditional vanilla ice cream which saddens me, but it’s still good of course. C’mon people! Try something new!
Follow Me Foodie Tasty Twist: I go ahead and sprinkle a little table salt in the caramel. It’s that salted caramel and chocolate combination and of course fleur de sel is ideal, but I take what I can get. Use only a little bit because table salt is saltier and sharper than fleur de sel.
Chicken Karekare
Bet you weren’t expecting this? Chicken Karekare is a traditional Filipino dish and it tastes like a melted peanut butter stew. It’s chicken and vegetables in a rich and creamy peanut sauce and the one above is from Kumare Restaurant.
Peanut Butter
I had to save this one for last because it’s the best peanut butter dessert I’ve had to date. This peanut butter masterpiece was from Redd in Napa Valley, California. It was a milk chocolate gianduja bar, peanut honeycomb parfait milkshake, and chocolate hazelnut mousse on a bed of candied roasted peanuts sprinkled with a touch of fleur de sel. OMG. I’m jealous of myself right now! It’s been almost 2 years and I still remember it like yesterday.
mmmmm I LOVE Peanut Butter!!Thanks for this yummy post. My latest favorite peanut butter dish is the peanut and chilli noodle soup from Deer Garden, SO good!!
Did someone say Reese’s ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwGQ_w9lgHw&feature=related
Hmm that PB cookie sandwich from Butter Bakery looks awesome. I’ve only had a few things from there before but they were all good.
If you’re ever in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham (http://fairhaven.com/), go to the Colophon Cafe (next to Village Books) and eat their famous peanut butter pie and/or their African peanut soup ….. both packed with all peanutty goodness:
http://www.colophoncafe.com/
Not a peanut butter fan…in cookies, ice cream, candy or pastry BUT I love Satay ! Especially beef roast covered in coarse sea salt, in a Dutch oven, cook 35 mins./lb at 350 F. Bust the crust and brush off the salt, let rest, carve and serve with a Satay(peanut) sauce. Buy only organic peanut beurre, the ordinary ones will use moldy, rotten peanuts to make peanut butter(it’s not illegal…just as it’s legal to put polypropolene glycol/ blue antifreeze in ice cream and Winnipeg cream cheese).
OMG – I must go to Butter for the cookies…….mmmmm 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation! And the very genius tip on combining!
I want to see more.” Good Job” Thanks
@Lotus Rapper, What’s in the peanut butter pie ? Is it like a lime pie, a custard ? Peanuts are also used in Chinese soups, however the African peanut soup was a big hit in American food magazine recipes in the ’80’s. I forgot, I love a good Tan Tan noodles.
@Bow – I know PB and cream cheese is involved. And the graham crust is on the bottom. Couldn’t find their PBP recipe online, but some of their other offerings are:
http://www.colophoncafe.com/recipes.htm
I suspect it’s in their cookbook (at top of their recipes page)
mmmm i used to really love peanut butter but now i’m more into almond butter just because it’s a bit less sweet 🙂 these goodies look great though… good job on the list!
There’s a ‘gourmet’ PB&J sandwich food truck in Portland, too! They’ve got some pretty funky creations too. Love your peanut butter post and I agree…Cactus Club’s Peanut Butter Bar is one of my faves, too!!!
@vivian – yes! It almost reminds me of Tan Tan noodles at Shanghainese.
@LR – thanks for the tip LR! Omg that peanut butter pie sounds amazing and the peanut soup too! I’m trying to think if I’ve had the soup before… sounds so familiar!!
@Bow – omg bow…. I didn’t know about the rotten peanuts 🙁 That being said, I also love making my own nut butters… I love peanuts and any type of nut! They add so much flavour!! I’m kind of surprised you don’t like them… just peanuts or all nuts?
@LR – being helpful as always. Thank you!
@Linda – thanks dear! Yes try some of the organic PB brands which have less sugar. OR you can go to the Safeway on Robson and elect your peanuts from the bin and get them to make it for you!
@Jeanie – Woohoo! So glad you like! I’ve heard of that truck in Portland and I swear they have a truck for everything!! I need to go back!!
FWIW, I buy the house brand peanut butter from Famous Foods on Kingsway. They have salted & unsalted, smooth and crunchy, organic and er, regular, in small and large tubs. I get the small tub (455 grams) of smooth/salted and they’re all priced a titch over $5. The ingredients are simply peanuts and salt, and when you open it it doesn’t require much mixing of the oil and the paste (unlike Adams brand, for example). And to my palate it’s not overly salty nor sweet like some natural PB’s out there.
You can find Monkey Butter at ‘Cardero Bottega’ !!! 1016 Cardero St. in the West End.
@PB LUVA – thanks PB LUVA!!! you’re awesome!