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Peanut butter in a spoon

Whenever I want a "little something" and there's nothing to snack on, I like peanut butter in a spoon.
Does anyone else do this?

My favorite p-butter for this purpose lately is Trader Joe's Organic Smooth (unsalted). It has to be stirred up when you first open it, but it will remain homogenized after you refrigerate it.

Sometimes I'll sprinkle a little fleur de sel or kosher salt on it, but it's the essence of peanuts just as it is.

52 Replies

  1. Pat, you truly are a woman after my own heart...;)
    I've been doing this since I was about 9...Sometimes i roll the spoon in raisins...

    1. re: galleygirl

      I think it's better to just scrape it off against the roof of your mouth and let it spread its peanutiness from there. : )

      1. re: Kirk

        If you post it, they will come! Gosh, this is so gratifiying! I honestly didn't think other adults did this.

        I actually bought unsalted by mistake the first time, but it's all I've bought since. It's really like putting a pat of butter on your tongue. I had to reload my spoon to be sure. Yes, it's that melty.

    2. Does anyone not do this? I'm a longtime devotee of Laura Scudders/Smuckers natural peanut butter. With a little raspberry jam ...

      1. re: Caitlin Wheeler

        Never tried chocolate chips on my crunchy peanut butter but I dip it in whatever jam or marmelade is available...think I'll go have some right now!!!!

        1. re: Caitlin Wheeler

          I also love the Laura Scudders / Smuckers natural peanut butter -- I think is better than Trader Joe's, which I also like. I eat mine with a bit of quince jelly. Yum!

        2. Actually, I roll the spoonful on to a banana!

          1. re: critter

            Oh man, and what's better than a peanut buter and banana sandwich....

            1. re: galleygirl

              A peanut butter, banana and BACON sandwich!

              1. re: Pat hammond

                Elvis lives!

                1. re: Cristina

                  Honey, that's why Elvis is DEAD!

                  1. re: georgeb

                    LOLLLLLLLLLL...

                    1. re: georgeb

                      Well, don't forget, he liked them fried in butter.

                  2. re: Pat hammond

                    yes!!!

                    1. re: Pat hammond

                      I love this sandwich, but I like it even more with a little honey in it.

                      Link: http://meglioranza.com

                    2. re: galleygirl

                      Peanut butter, ginger preserves and banana on whole wheat bread! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm....

                  3. Hi Pat,

                    Oh yeah, the "peanut butter lollipop"!! Plain is how I prefer mine these days, but when we were kids, (and Mom wasn't looking), we would use one of those bear-shaped honey dispensers to add honey eyes, nose, and mouth. Then, chocolate sprinkles for hair. Great, great stuff, that peanut butter!

                    Yoroshiku,
                    Andy

                    1. Usually I take it straight but now and then I like to add 4 or 5 chocolate chips.

                      1. re: JoanB

                        Oh yes, same here. And once in a blue moon, it's an actual dip in the chocolate chips.

                        1. re: JoanB

                          or a dab of fudge sauce, straight from the fridge.

                        2. Oh yes! My mother, in her 80s, taught me this when I was but a wee tot. I think her mother may have shown her. As soon as the pediatrician says my grandson can eat peanuts I shall pass on this tradition.

                          1. re: Cpt. Wafer

                            Let the chain be unbroken. My grandson is in a holding pattern too.

                          2. The ultimate, spoonful of pb, stuffed with as many chocolate chips as it holds, then dip it in marshmallow cream, oh god, reminds me of the 70's.

                            1. You mean there are people who *don't* do this?

                              It's a favorite of mine for when I'm hungry but too tired to eat -- it gives me a nice concentrated hit of fat and protein and doesn't spike my blood sugar like most quick snack foods, which tend to be high-carb.

                              It's just so satisfying -- both physically and psychologically: creamy, soothing and delicious, and you don't even have to chew it!

                              Trader Joe's is good, but my favorite is the fresh ground at the Berkeley Bowl. I take it on the plane with me to eat with crackers or apples. It's delicious and nutritious and I don't have to worry about refrigeration.

                              1. Anyone who hasn't tried fresh-ground peanut butter should try it right away. It's usually available at better health-food stores, and often they let the customers grind it themselves, so you know it's really fresh. Tastes just like...peanuts!

                                1. But of course.

                                  For this purpose, I like Smucker's Natural (creamy) or Whole Foods 365 (creamy); both have a pleasant hint of grittiness that makes for a nice medium between pulverized smooth and chuncky. Peanuts and salt. No sweetener to mask the off taste of rancid peanuts....

                                  1. Absolutely! I NEVER have the PB&J sandwich, either......just the PB lollipop. In our house, Arrowhead Mills 100% Valencia Peanuts rules!!!

                                    1. My mother started me on peanut butter "popsicles" when I was a kid. If I or a sibling complained of late-afternoon hunger, when dinner was imminent, Mom would tell us to "have a peanut butter popsicle to hold you". Of course I still do it. My husband thinks it's wierd (but he puts ketchup on hot dogs -- THAT'S wierd). The brand is unimportant. Whatever's in the house.

                                      Isn't it a comfort, Pat, to know you're in such good company?

                                      1. We call them peanut butter "spoons," not very creative. Kids and I both love them because they can help themselves. I, too, prefer TJ's organic, but the kids turn up their noses at anything but--gack--Jif.

                                        They also go for the traditional grape jelly for sandwiches, but I love PB with orange marmalade, the bitter kind.

                                        1. re: SharonA

                                          Try PB with mint jelly or pb and bread and butter pickles

                                        2. Hey, who needs a spoon? Isn't that why God invented index fingers, for digging out a blob of pnut butter from the jar?

                                          1. I find that a spoonful of peanut butter settles those early morning pre-coffee jitters. Washed down with a glass of milk, it's a quick snack. Add chocolate milk, a dab of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of chocolate syrup and it's dessert.

                                            1. I know I'm not the only one who lets her dog clean the spoon after I've had my share.

                                              1. re: chowfish

                                                Actually, it is a great way to give dogs slippery pills. (another is to stuff cooked pennette rigate with the pills).

                                              2. Similar in principle, one of my latenight snacks:

                                                Big spoonful of dulce de leche, then sprinkled with
                                                chopped pecan bits (bought in 1-lb bags from bulk store).

                                                like "Pecan Pie in a spoon".....

                                                1. re: JugglerDave

                                                  You can stop at one spoonful? Not I . . .

                                                2. A good quality plain chocolate bar for dipping in the jar (you know, you got pb on my chocolate; you got chocolate on my pb!) My latest pb thing (especially in summer) is for breakfast to have toast with peanut butter and sliced fruit! Nectarines, papaya, mango and peaches especially...mmmm

                                                  1. re: Allison

                                                    My summer sandwich is pb with tomato and mayo on toast. I was thinking sliced peaches would be a good change from tomatoes. Your post makes me want to go ahead and try it!

                                                  2. I use a slice of celery as my spoon, and eat the celery with the peanut butter. It adds some moisture and extra crunchiness. A good contrast.

                                                    1. re: lil mikey

                                                      My spoon of choice: carrots. Same reasons as your celery, moisture and crunchiness. Oh man...give me a jar and a baggy of baby carrots and my lunch is complete.

                                                      I am glad to see so many other people use the PBshot (spoonful of peanut butter) as something to temporarily beat hunger. I'm horrible when it comes to actually eating before I get to the point where I'm starved and once Im at that stage there's not too much I can eat that won't turn my stomach. A spoonfull of peanut butter gives me a reprieve from the hunger pains until I can find something more substantial. My husband thinks I'm insane...now I can point him here!

                                                    2. For me, it's Teddie Peanut Butter-- all natural, oil on top, super chunky. It may only be available in the Northeast. It was made in my hometown, and when I went away to college, imagine my surprise that this is the brand they served. It tastes like home to me.

                                                      I substituted the Smucker's natural in my SO's sandwich one day and he's never gone back.

                                                      1. re: Erika

                                                        Does anyone know if Teddie Peanut Butter changed the spelling of their name from Teddy at one point?. As a kid I would scrape off the "T" so it would read "Eddy" Peanut Butter and I'm almost positive it was spelled that way.

                                                      2. Another tasty treat... almost as good as Nutella on fingers!

                                                        1. My college roommate and I had some huge fights over his habit of using his index finger INSTEAD of a spoon, sometimes dipping twice! Yuck. I mean I'm sure I'd do it too if I lived alone, but if you saw his fingernails... We arrived at a compromise in which he agreed to use different fingers if he was going to dip more than once.

                                                          My dip of choice these days is maltose, or barley malt syrup (which we usually find at health food stores or in Chinese grocery stores). It's an extremely thick syrup that dissolves slowly in the mouth, so it's not too sweet, and has lots of nice malty flavor. It's also diabolically addictive on Ritz crackers.

                                                          Link: http://meglioranza.com

                                                          1. Love it out of the spoon. Doesn't matter what brand (aside from scary generics) as long as it's creamy.

                                                            1. Two fisted spoon love: PB & Nutella

                                                              1. I can go to town on a jar of peanut butter! Dip butter knife into peanut butter, dip that into bag of frozen chocolate chips! I never buy chocolate chips unless I need them for a recipe. I can make a jar of peanut butter disappear in a few days with choc. chips laying around.

                                                                1. 11:30 P.M. during a commercial break of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", I went to the kitchen, and did just that. I think I buy whatever natural peanut butter is on sale now. My husband used to bring me home fresh peanut butter he would get from his office (they had their own peanut butter machine). I miss that.

                                                                  I do this whenever I need a quick light snack but don't want to really "eat"

                                                                  1. Remember that scene in Meet Joe Black,
                                                                    with Brad Pitt walking around with a spoonful
                                                                    of PB in his mouth. Yep, that was me.
                                                                    Quick and easy snack. I've always added a little spoonful
                                                                    on the side of my bowl of cereal. That way you get a little taste
                                                                    with every mouthful.

                                                                    1. I'm a big fan of the Nutella on a spoon. Also, try a grilled PB & pickle sandwich, sounds disgusting, but was actually quite tasty! My brother used to dip a Hershey bar in the PB.

                                                                      1. Oh absolutely. The Quick Snack. I usually have one right before bed.

                                                                        1. >> Does anyone else do this?

                                                                          dear God, yes!

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