Peanut butter

For as long as I can remember, I have loved peanut butter. The fact that Dennis the Menace ate nothing else might have something to do with it, but somehow, I think it was just the taste and the texture that I connected with! My kids love peanut butter too, and though my pantry is always stocked with it, I wondered if I could try my hand at making some myself.
After speaking to a number of people, and browsing through half a dozen recipes on the internet, I hit the jackpot. This recipe is not only easy, it is full of tricks and tips for the first timer. Apart from removing the skin (which I always hate), it was easier than expected, and I might just shift to home-made peanut butter from now on.

2 cups raw, shelled peanuts
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more as per taste
1-2 tablespoons peanut oil or other oil (optional, I used 1 tbsp, but am halving the quantity next time)
 
Optional Add-Ins: 
1-2 tablespoons honey or other sweetener
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or other spice
handful of chocolate chips
a few spoonfuls of nutella

Method: Heat the oven to 175 degrees and toast the peanuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden and glossy with oil, about 10 minutes- roasting gives the peanut butter a deeper flavor and also helps make the oils looser and easier to blend into a smooth butter. Remove the skins

Transfer the peanuts to a blender while the nuts are still warm. Pulse a few times just until chopped. → For chunky peanut butter, remove 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and set aside.

Run the blender continuously for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. At this point, the peanut butter will look gritty and dry. 

Run the blender continuously for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides. At this point, the butter will start clumping together. It's not quite peanut butter, but it's getting there! 

Run the blender continuously for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides. At this point, the butter will be glossy and soft, like very thick peanut butter.

Add the salt, oil and any optional add-ins, and process for an additional minutes till it becomes completely smooth. 

If you have reserved some nuts for clunky peanut butter, add them at this stage, and pulse a few times to incorporate.

Scrape the peanut butter into a jar, and store in a cool, dry place.