Pip and Nut Butter cookbook recipes: From soba noodle salad to espresso almond and chocolate tart

Pippa Murray’s debut book is devoted to nut butter – hard to believe. After wanting a healthier option to peanut better, she shows you how to make your own and how to incorporate it into everyday meals

Peanut soba noodle salad

Get your chopsticks out and have fun trying to pick up those pesky edamame beans.

Takes 30 mins

Serves 3

 225g buckwheat soba noodles
150g frozen edamame beans
 2tbsp peanuts
 2 carrots
 3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely diced
3tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped
3tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
3tbsp mixture of black and white sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into wedges

For the dressing

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2tsp sesame oil
2tsp dark soy sauce
3tbsp rice vinegar
2tbsp rapeseed oil
2tbsp peanut butter
1tsp coconut nectar

First make the dressing. Put all the ingredients into a small bowl, mix to combine and set aside. Cook the noodles for 5-8 minutes in plenty of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Drain and refresh by rinsing under cold water, then leave to dry on a clean tea towel. At the same time, cook the edamame beans for 4-5 minutes in a separate pan of boiling water, then drain and refresh with cold water. Roast the peanuts in a dry pan until golden, then take off the heat, tip onto a board and roughly chop. Peel the carrots and slice into fine matchsticks. Put the noodles in a large mixing bowl and add the edamame beans, carrots, spring onions, chilli and herbs and toss with the dressing. Serve sprinkled with the chopped roasted peanuts, the sesame seeds and a wedge of lime.

A world of flavours available in one bite

Spice peanut parsnip soup

By pre-roasting the parsnips, you get a great caramelised flavour that gives this soup that extra flavour boost. It’s like a high-five in a bowl.

Takes 45 mins

Serves 2

3 parsnips, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled
2tsp vegetable stock powder made up with 720ml boiling water
2tbsp peanut butter
2tbsp coconut cream
Pinch of chilli powder
2tsp ground cumin
30g coriander leaves

For the topping

1tbsp coconut chips
1tbsp pumpkin seeds
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
15g coriander, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line an ovenproof dish with baking parchment, add the parsnips, onion, garlic and ginger to the dish and roast for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the topping by stirring all the ingredients together to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside. Blitz the stock in a high-speed blender with the peanut butter, coconut cream, chilli powder, cumin and coriander.

Remove the roasted veg from the oven and add to the blender. Power for 1-2 minutes on a medium-high speed until you get a smooth texture. You may wish to add more water, depending on your preferred thickness. Serve in bowls, sprinkled with the topping.

The almond adds a crunch to the creamy texture

Espresso almond and chocolate tart

Looking for a show-stopper of a dessert? Then look no further.

Takes 1 hour plus setting time

Serves 8-10

375g ready-made shortcrust pastry
300ml cups double cream
75g caster sugar
½tsp sea salt
50g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks
2tsp instant espresso
50ml whole milk
6tsp almond butter

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Roll out the pastry to 5mm/¹⁄5-inch thick and use to line a 25cm/10-inch tart tin. Line with baking parchment, fill with baking beans or dry rice and blind bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment and bake for another 15 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool. Bring the cream, sugar and salt to the boil in a heavy-based pan.

As soon as the cream starts to boil vigorously, take off the heat and add the butter, chocolate and espresso powder. When the chocolate and butter have melted, stir in the milk, transfer the mixture to a jug and pour into the cooled pastry case, filling it right up to the rim but being careful not to let it overflow.

Using a small teaspoon, place small blobs of almond butter in rows running from one side of the pastry to the other. Using a wooden skewer, run through each blob to make a marbled effect.Leave to set for a few hours. Enjoy cold with some double (heavy) cream.

Pip & Nut: The Nut Butter Cookbook by Pippa Murray (Quadrille, £15) Photography Adrian Lawrence