If your belly is growling and you are constantly rummaging through the drawers in your desk at work trying to find a treat, don’t worry; we’ve all bee there. Even as kids, if you were anything like me, you probably were constantly asking mom or dad for a snack (mostly mom, ’cause my dad was like “here have a fruit” and screw that! haha). Looks like that’s a habit we don’t grow out of!

Well, I have a special somethin’ somethin’ that’s going to help appease the gods of cravings, a treat that will give you some extra energy to take on the day and that will also remind you of those favourite childhood snacks you used to love (oh the good ol’ times).

Today’s recipe: Salty Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Cranberry Jelly Spread, a classic treat from your childhood, but with a gourmet twist to fit your foodie adulthood. This recipe is quite simple (but tasty) so you can use it in other things like smoothies or ‘fancy toasts’ (I provide a couple ideas at the end of the post)

Get your peanuts ready, a few cranberries, and come over to the kitchen!

So, the peeps from Patience Fruit & Co asked me to create a recipe for them using some good ol’ cranberries. The idea here was to create a not-too-sinful-but-oh-so-deicious recipe using simple, natural ingredients. Our focus was on performance and energy boosting, but also on creating something that can be eaten when you have a craving of sorts. I mean, how many of us have had a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter to get you through that “It’s 3PM and I am kinda hungry but not a lot” funk. I’ma rite?

Like I said, this spread can be served with toast, but it can also be added as a booster to your morning smoothie or post-workout shake. The tanginess of the cranberry jelly adds a really nice layer of flavour to the salty cinnamon peanut butter (it tastes like a holiday!). OH! And I didn’t add any extra sugar since the crans already have some natural sweetener happening – total win-win.

Ok, ‘nuff chattin’, let’s get jammin’

Salty Cinnamon Peanut Butter and Cranberry Jelly Spread
Makes one 250ml jar

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted plain peanuts (no salt added)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pinch cardamom
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 cup all-natural cranberries
½ cup water

Instructions:
1. Set aside ¼ cup of the peanuts (you’ll use it later on). Put the rest of the peanuts, the cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, cardamom, and coconut oil in a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a touch of water to get it going.

2. Place the cranberries and water in a small pot and heat up. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring in between, until cranberries get soft. Remove from the heat and carefully place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Cool down and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

3. Grab a jar with a lid and layer the peanut butter with the cranberry jelly.
Chop the ¼ cup of peanuts you had set aside and place them at the very top, that way every time you grab some of the pb&j you’ll get a bit of crunch as well.

And here are my toast suggestions:
– Sliced bananas – it’s a classic combo that tastes super good with this recipe.
– Fresh cherries – now that it’s summer you’ll see lots of cherries around, use a few of them (sour and sweet) as a toping.
– Strawberries: get them fresh and local while you can!

Hope you enjoy this updated childhood treat!

Blog post created in partnership with Patience Fruit & Co. All views my own.