ALTHOUGH the peanut has a long history, having been found in Peruvian mummy tombs, peanut butter is a relatively young food.

In 1890 an enterprising physician, Dr John Kellogg (of Cornflakes fame), created peanut butter as a healthy protein substitute that was easy to digest for patients with no teeth.

These days it remains a popular spread on toast or in sandwiches, though some people are severely allergic to nuts, especially children, which has led to a ban on peanut butter in many schools.

Commercial peanut butter is readily available, and it's also easy to make your own at home using fresh peanuts.

Peanuts arrived in Australia in the 1870s with the gold rush. Chinese prospectors near Cooktown appear to have laid down the first domestic crops using seeds and clippings from China.

Australia produces about 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of peanuts a year (the total harvest varies slightly depending on seasonal conditions). Nearly this entire crop is consumed domestically.

Aside from snacking on a peanut or spreading peanut butter on toast, there are many ways to be creative with this ingredient in the kitchen.

PEANUT BUTTER BISCUITS

  • 130g plain flour
  • 1/2 tspn baking soda
  • 115g softened butter
  • 140g sugar
  • 50g packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tspn salt
  • 225g chunky peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tspn vanilla essence

Sift the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Put the butter, sugars and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute.

Add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla and beat until just smooth, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the reserved flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.

Cover the mix with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 12.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat oven to 160C.

Pinch off heaped tablespoon-size pieces of the dough and roll into balls.

Arrange the balls about 6cm apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the balls to a thickness of about 1cm and to make a grid pattern on top.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool the biscuits completely before storing in air-tight containers for up to two weeks.