Peanut Butter ‘n Cookie Buttercream – American Style

Yup, that’s right: Peanut Butter ‘n Cookie Buttercream – American Style.

I know, I know… I told you that I was going to make a variation on the vanilla flour buttercream I posted about last Sunday. But guess what? After I’d mixed up that gorgeous bowl full of peanut butter ‘n cookie flour buttercream, I placed it in the fridge so I could use it the next day, and when I pulled it out of the fridge the next morning the buttercream had totally separated…

Apparently making a peanut butter version of flour buttercream really isn’t an option, so I’ll have to come up with another flour buttercream variation. One that will actually still look good after a day or two in the fridge.

Still, I didn’t want you to miss out on the flavor of said separated buttercream! It was sooooo good!

Seriously guys, if you like peanut butter, or snickers, or peanut brittle, or sugared peanuts, or anything else with peanuts in it, you’ll love this buttercream! It tastes like fluffy snickers bars.

So how did I make this super creamy, super fluffy, incredibly delicious buttercream? You guessed it: using the beaten butter method. Instead this time, I combined the butter with the peanut butter before I started mixing…

After five minutes of mixing on high speed, the peanut butter-butter mixture looked pale and fluffy. Aka: perfect for buttercream. So that’s when I added powdered sugar and a little vanilla.

After five more minutes of mixing, I added some fine Oreo crumbs, mixed briefly to combine and… that was it. Easy peasy. A lot easier than flour buttercream, at any rate. And because I used a lot less powdered sugar than I use in my vanilla American buttercream recipe, this buttercream doesn’t tend to be a bit too sweet either! The saltiness of the peanut butter also balances out the sweetness, of course. Plus, there’s sugar in the peanut butter… But more than anything, this buttercream just works better with a little less sugar in it.

Too much sugar only interferes with that amazing peanut butter flavor…

Now, for good measure, I left this buttercream out for a couple of days, just to make sure it wouldn’t separate like the flour buttercream version. And guess what? It didn’t! These photos were taken on day four, and the buttercream was just as creamy, smooth and fluffy as it was on day one!

And yes, it was very hard not to eat every single one of those cupcakes in those flour days. It was a good thing there was chocolate in the house…

But…

Now that I’ve finally photographed them, I’m definitely having two (or three?) of these for dessert tonight!

Enjoy guys! Back soon with a summery recipe: custard ice cream with rhubarb. Oh, and by the way, I’ve paired the buttercream with my favorite chocolate cupcakes! If you haven’t tried them, they’re super easy to make and they’re incredibly chocolatey!

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Peanut Butter 'n Cookie Buttercream - American Style

 

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Prep time

12 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Makes about 300g (or 1⅓ cup) of buttercream, enough to generously frost 6-8 cupcakes. Doubled, the recipe yields enough to frost a two-layered 8-inch cake.

Author: The Tough Cookie

Ingredients

• 120g (or ½ cup + 5 teaspoons) smooth peanut butter*, I used Skippy
• 80g (or ⅓ cup + 1 teaspoon) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 100g (or ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 Oreo's

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a medium-sized bowl, with an electric mixer) beat together peanut butter and butter for 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar and, using a rubber spatula, smush the ingredients together until somewhat combined. Then mix again for at least 5 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and mix briefly to incorporate.
4. Place the Oreo’s in a plastic bag and bang with a rolling pin to super fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to the buttercream and beat for another minute.
5. Use immediately or store, covered in the fridge, for up to seven days. Before you want to use it, allow buttercream to come to room temperature and mix briefly until smooth and creamy again. Buttercream can also be frozen in a zip-lock bag for up to two months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight, then allow to come to room temperature and mix until smooth and fluffy before use.
6. Frosted cakes or cupcakes stay fresh, stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to three days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Notes

* I usually take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before I want to start mixing.

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