2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt (increase to 1 tsp, if using unsalted butter)
½ pound salted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground to resemble bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350°.
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
With electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. 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 incorporated.
Working with a generous 2 tablespoon each time, roll dough into 2 inch balls. Place balls on baking sheets, leaving 2 ½ inches between each ball. Press each dough ball twice with a dinner fork that has been dipped in cold water to make crisscross design.
Bake, reversing position of baking sheet halfway through bake time (from top-bottom and front to back), until cookie are puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top, 10-12 minutes. Cookies will not look fully baked. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack with wide spatula to cool completely.
Makes 3 dozen
Michele Tracey, Food Editor