Student cookbook: Double-crunch peanut cookies

Homemade biscuits are so much tastier than shop-bought ones and you can even kid yourself they're healthier. Just DON'T make them if any of your flatmates are allergic to nuts. Serves: 24-26 cookies Cooking time: 45 mins 75g salted peanuts 125g crunchy peanut butter 125g butter (at room temperature) 75g unrefined caster sugar, plus a little extra for rolling the biscuits 100g light soft brown sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or essence 1 egg 175g plain flour 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 large lightly oiled baking trays Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5. Chop the peanuts roughly and set aside. Beat the butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Work in the sugars then add the vanilla and egg. Add the peanuts, flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix well, then put the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes. Once chilled, take heaped tsps of the mixture and form balls the size of large walnuts. Roll each ball in the remaining caster sugar. Space them out on the baking trays and flatten each one gently with a fork. Bake for about 15 minutes until light brown. Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes then move to a wire rack until cold. Store in an airtight tin.