Sunday, October 19, 2008

Peanut Butter Cookies


-America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook


2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter (we used creamy)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts, ground fine (we ground to consistency of crunchy peanut butter)

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the butter and sugars together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the ground peanuts until incorporated.

4. Working with 3 TBSP of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay on two parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Make crosshatch design on the cookies using a fork (dipped in sugar to keep from sticking). Bake until the edges are golden and the centers have puffed and are beginning to deflate, 10-12 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking. *Using medium cookie scoop (about 2 Tbsp?), 11 minutes on Silpat, 12 on airbake - 4 dozen

5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

1 comment:

Meghan said...

Soft and chewy - yum!