Here are 4 quick and easy ways on how to melt peanut butter!
Do you think peanut butter is a healthy food? Does it help in reducing some extra pounds or improving your health?
Many diet experts and headlines of trendy tabloids might make you believe that peanut butter has magical powers to cut down your waist length and reduce cravings. However, before you jump to the conclusion and start adding peanut butter to your shopping list, use your common sense.
Of course, peanut butter is healthy, but too much of it in your diet will lead to serious trouble. Yes, this food is low in carbs and rich in proteins, but if you are a diet conscious individual, then be careful of the high calorie and fat present in peanut butter.
Do you know peanut butter is considered as one of the high-calorie sandwich spread? Of course, it varies among brands but a typical peanut butter has about 15-16 grams of fat and close to 190-195 calories in two tablespoon servings.
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Health Benefits of Peanut Butter
According to health and diet experts, peanut butter is good for you and there are various clinical studies which prove that consuming peanuts or normal nuts lead to a good and healthy heart. Even various scientific researches have proved that individuals who eat peanuts and nuts in moderate amount have less chance of getting heart-related diseases. However, that is not the case with peanut butter, as you are eating more than peanuts.
Many of the commercial brands that are available or which you purchase contain added hydrogenated oils and sugar. Even there are peanut butter which belongs to the organic and natural variety but has added oils and sweeteners. These added ingredients help in providing a creamy texture to the peanut butter which most of us like. So, when you are eating peanut butter, you are consuming heart-healthy peanuts but there are chances that the diet might not be suitable for you.
How to Melt Peanut Butter?
No doubt, the popular and thick peanut butter which gets stuck to the roof of your mouth is really delicious, but it is a stubborn ingredient to really blend with other food stuff. However, this fatty food is really worth adding to a variety of dishes, as it brings nuttiness to Asian salads, creaminess in desserts and cakes, good dipping sauce, and the list goes on.
Now it is quite easy to melt peanut butter as all you need is to apply certain heat using a low burner or microwave. Also, you can add some hot liquid and even follow a no-heat method using fluid ingredients and blender to thin peanut butter out. Following are the methods to melt peanut butter you can follow:
1. Stove Softening
Take the required amount of peanut butter in a small pan or saucepan and heat it at low temperature. The peanut butter must melt by itself or along with other ingredients as per the recipe that you are making. Make sure the peanut butter liquefies and get it whisked to separate the oil from the solids.
Now you must remove peanut butter as soon as it gets to the level of consistency that you need. It might take about 6 or more minutes depending on the amount of peanut butter used and the other ingredients that are added.
2. Microwave Melting
Take a scoop of peanut butter and add it to a microwave container or bowl. Place the peanut butter filled microwave container into the microwave and set it to high temperature. You can program the timer to about 30-40 seconds. After the stipulated time, check the bowl. If the peanut butter hasn’t melted, then continue heating it in the microwave and check at 30-40 second intervals.
3. Ladling in Liquid
Take small amounts of peanut butter and add it to a mixing bowl. Take the required amount of liquid that you need to cook as per the recipe, for example, cream or milk. Now you need to use a saucepan and heat the liquid at low or medium temperature.
Then pour the hot liquid to the mixing bowl containing the peanut butter and continue whisking it until the peanut butter gets liquefy. Continue to add the heated mixture of peanut butter and the liquid to the rest of the ingredients.
4. Processing Peanut Butter
Add the required amount of peanut butter into a food processor or blender. Then add the flavoring agents and liquid. You can add liquids like soy sauce, rice vinegar, cilantro, garlic, etc. Process the ingredients and peanut butter mixture till it becomes a soft liquid. Then use it along with the rest of the ingredients.
Conclusion
Frankly, melting peanut butter is easy but as it seems to be crunchy, you might feel that it cannot be dissolved. But with the given procedures discussed above, you can melt peanut butter and add it to your favorite dishes.
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See below video for How-To Make A Melted Peanut Butter & CHOCOLATE BAR Drip Cake: