I think my husband Oscar’s most amusing claim to fame is that he was once the recipient of the most expensive peanut biscuit crumbs ever.  We had moved to Australia, and back in Valencia, Oscar’s grandmother was fretting because she was convinced that without his favourite peanut crackers, her little Oscar would simply not be able to survive. So she made a huge batch and posted them to him. From Spain. In a box. Without bubblewrap.
I think the postage cost about 8,000 of the old pesetas, which is roughly 80 Australian dollars and considering that the crackers contain only flour, oil, a handful of peanuts and a splash of beer, and considering also that international post is not known for its delicacy of handling, you will understand what I mean by the most expensive crumbs ever.

Anyway, these savoury little biscuits are an essential part of this family’s diet – everyone loves peanuts, and everyone loves cocquetes de cacau. They are also quick and easy to make, which is good because they are in constant demand!

What you need (for about 12):
Half a glass of olive oil
Half a glass of beer
As much flour as it takes to form a soft dough
A good pinch of salt
Raw, shelled peanuts

What you do:
Heat your oven to 190ºC and lightly flour a baking tray. Pour the oil and beer into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt.  Start stirring in flour, adding gradually until the dough comes together. It will be oily but not sticky and will form a lovely glossy little ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly for a few minutes. Then break off walnut-sized (ish) balls and squash flat on your palm to get a roundish, flattish disc.

Lay the discs onto the floured tray and prick them with a fork.  Then decorate with your peanuts, give an additional sprinkling of salt and bake for about 15 minutes, though you really need to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn!

Allow the biscuits to cool completely on a rack before crunching into one. If there are any left to store, do so in an airtight container for a couple of days at most.

Serve with: tasty cheese and beer