Peanut Butter and Coffee Buns

And thoughts on Deliveroo's cynical Pride Month activity

This week I’m sharing a recipe that I am quite proud of. I’ve recreated my favourite university breakfast, in bun form. That breakfast was peanut butter on wholemeal toast with a mug of black coffee made in a moka pot. To me, this combination is exquisite. I ate it religiously in my dorm room at Sheffield University, even occasionally making my coffee with a bag of Monmouth like the pretentious first year I was. I also distinctly remember a bag of frozen pound shop sausages that were more sawdust than meat, so 2011 wasn’t all that great for culinary memories. Anyway, back to the buns. I hope you enjoy them! Keep reading for a take on Deliveroo’s Pride ‘initiative’…

For over a year now ‘peanut butter and coffee dessert’ has been sitting on my recipe development list. For a long time, I was mulling over ideas that could incorporate the nutty wholemeal flavour of the toast, the peanut butter richness and the bitter but sweet coffee that worked so well in those 2011 breakfasts I remember so fondly.

At first, I thought about a tart, with a fudgy peanut filling and coffee glaze. But then I realised the eating experience (with a fork, not my hands) just wouldn’t compare right with the original toast inspiration. A trifle crossed my mind (I only realised I love them last year) but it would need a more satisfyingly chewy element, really. A few months later, I landed on the idea of buns, after becoming obsessed with Anna Higham’s brioche recipe and watching a bunch of YouTubers tackle cinnamon rolls.

Because I am still a tentative baker at heart, I tested and tested these until I got them right. The first try was good, but nowhere near peanutty enough. It also lacked sweetness, which I originally foolishly dialled down because I don’t put sugar in my coffee.

Subsequent tries would need more sugar, more wholemeal flour, and more stabilised frosting, to really achieve a harmony of flavours. I landed on natural peanut butter for the filling, mixed with actual butter and just enough demerara sugar and salt to create a lovely spreadable paste. It was important the filling stay put and not disintegrate inside the buns nor dry out too much. I used the Aldi peanut butter in this recipe, but any PB with straight up peanuts in the ingredients list will work.

I hope you like the end result as much as I did!