Cliff Peanut Butter

Cliff Peanut Butter is a peanut butter from Esplanda, sold in the snacks aisle. The listing doesn't state the texture (smooth or crunchy), the ingredients, the roast, the jar size, or whether it contains added sugar or salt. Check the label for those before you buy, especially if you cook for people with dietary restrictions. Anyone with a peanut allergy should avoid it. Peanut butters in this category usually taste of roasted peanuts, with a salty-sweet edge and a dense, spoonable body. Expect it to stiffen in a cool pantry and loosen at room temperature. If the jar is a natural style, some oil may separate on top, and stirring it back in before use restores an even texture. Once opened, keep it capped and out of direct heat. It is most useful as a spread. Put it on toasted sourdough, a bagel, or sliced apple and banana. Stir a spoonful into oatmeal, or blend it into a smoothie with banana and milk. In cooking, it thickens and enriches satay-style sauces and cold noodle dressings when thinned with warm water, lime, and soy sauce. In baking it works in cookies and brownie swirls. A knife or a butter spreader handles it best, and a warm spoon dipped in hot water cuts through a firm jar cleanly. For a snack, pair it with celery, crackers, or pretzels, since the saltiness of the crunchy side contrasts well with the richness of the spread. A glass of cold milk goes with it, and so does strong black coffee, whose bitterness balances the fat.