MAKES ABOUT 36 COOKIES
These cookies have a strong peanut flavor that comes from extra-crunchy peanut butter as well as from roasted salted peanuts that are ground in a food processor and worked into the dough. In our testing, we found that salted butter brings out the flavor of the nuts. If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.
|
2½ |
cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour |
|
½ |
teaspoon baking soda |
|
½ |
teaspoon baking powder |
|
½ |
teaspoon salt |
|
16 |
tablespoons salted butter, softened |
|
1 |
cup packed (7 ounces) dark brown sugar |
|
1 |
cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar |
|
1 |
cup extra-crunchy peanut butter, room temperature |
|
2 |
large eggs |
|
2 |
teaspoons vanilla extract |
|
1 |
cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, pulsed in food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 14 pulses |
1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
3. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Add peanut butter and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients; mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in ground peanuts until just incorporated. Give dough final stir to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2½ inches apart on prepared sheets. Press each dough ball twice, at right angles, with dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design.
5. Bake until cookies are puffy and slightly brown around edges but not on top, 10 to 12 minutes (cookies will not look fully baked), switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving.