I’ve gone through my share of traditional peanut butter cookie recipes. I can honestly declare that these are the best! Soft, somewhat chewy, and chock full of peanuts -thanks to the 1-1/2 cups of chopped peanuts! I made it with smooth peanut butter, but next time, I think I’ll try crunchy.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

About 1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Directions
Position the rack to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for three minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chopped peanuts. You’ll have a soft, pliable dough.

Pour the 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheets, leaving two inches between them. Dip the tines of a fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction – you should have a flattened round of dough with criscross indentations.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide metal spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Source: Baking, From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan, 2006