1 Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan. or equivalent.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2 Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream together to a smooth consistency using an electric whisk. 

3 Gradually whisk in the egg and vanilla essence.

4 Next incorporate the crunchy peanut butter to a smooth consistency.

5 In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Add the sifted ingredients to the buttery dough until fully combined. Either roll the dough into 2.5cm balls and freeze them for 10 minutes, or refrigerate the dough for one hour to allow it to firm up before rolling into balls.

6 Transfer the balls onto the lined baking sheet and lightly imprint the top of each biscuit with the back of a fork (allow enough space between the cookies, to allow them enough room to spread slightly). Place a peanut on the top of each cookie.

7 Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes or until the biscuits turn golden in colour with slightly crispened edges (the length of time baking will depend on the size of the cookies).

8 Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.  Store in an airtight container for two to three days.

Variation: Add some white or dark chocolate chunks to make peanut choc chip cookies