Recipe: Big, Super-Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies

BIG, SUPER-NUTTY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) salted, room temperature*
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter (preferably Jif), room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup roasted salted peanuts (about 1 cup, packed ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 14 pulses)**

Adjust oven rack to low center position; heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts; stir gently until just incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into large balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Press each dough ball with back of dinner fork dipped in cold water to make criss-cross design.

Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but not top, 10 to 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked). Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days.

*If using unsalted butter, increase salt to 1 teaspoon.

**Be sure to grind the peanuts, since whole, and even chopped peanuts tend to slip out of the dough.

Keep finished cookies refrigerated in airtight container. To restore just-baked chewiness, wrap a cookie in a sheet of paper towel and microwave for approximately 25 seconds. Cool before serving.

Makes 36 cookies
Adapted from source: Cook's Illustrated Magazine, March/April 1998