Peanut Butter Cookies (America's Test Kitchen)
By zircon50
Extra-crunchy peanut butter makes the peanuttiest cookies. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter also work.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts, ground fine (about 14 pulses in a food processor), about 1 cup packed.
Preparation
Step 1
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugars together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.
4. Beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
5. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.
7. Mix in the ground peanuts until incorporated.
8. Working with 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay on baking sheet or baking stone, spaced about 2 inches apart.
9. Make a crosshatch design on the cookies using a fork (see photo), slightly pressing down on the dough.
10. Bake until the edges are golden and the centers have puffed and are beginning to deflate, 10 - 12 minutes.
11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.