Makes 3 Dozen
2 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Roasted Salted Peanuts, Ground in Food Processor to Resemble Bread Crumbs (1 Cup Packed), (Be sure they are ground otherwise, if pieces are too big, they will slip through dough)
½ Pound Salted Butter (2 sticks), Room Temperature
1 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Extra Crunch Peanut Butter, Room Temperature
2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Preheat oven to 350º F. Adjust oven rack to low center position.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Add the ground peanuts to the flour mixture and blend with a wire whisk.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars, beat on medium until fluffy about 3 minutes stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Mix until completely incorporated scraping down the sides as necessary.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop dough, packed, into scoop. Drop onto cookie sheet fitted with parchment paper or silpat liner. Roll each into a perfect ball. Place balls about 2 inches apart. Using the back of a fork dipped in cold water make crisscross design on cookies slightly flattening each cookie.
Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along the edges, but not on top, 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate cookie sheets half way through cooking time. Cool on cookie sheet. Cookies can be stored in refrigerator in an airtight container. Or you can freeze them for 1 month.
