Occasionally there are times when I will bake a different recipe and think to myself,

‘WHY didn’t I think of that!’ - while smacking my forehead.

Today this simple peanut butter cookie recipe from Dorie Greenspan did just that. I have always loved my own version of the peanut butter cookie, but I always felt that it was just not quite THERE. But the answer was so simple: Add salted peanuts. This really does add to the perfection of the cookie; a perfect combination of sweet and salty that makes my taste buds sing in delight. Toss in some chocolate chips if you would like, I usually make half mine plain and half with chocolate to make everyone happy in my home. I am sure you will find this cookie will be a lovely addition to your recipe file.

Printer-friendly recipe here.

Truly Amazing Peanut Butter Cookies

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 sticks unsalted butter-room temperature

1 cup peanut butter-your preference chunky or smooth (natural won’t make a good cookie)

1 cup brown sugar

¾ sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups chopped salted peanuts

An additional ½ cup sugar for rolling

Oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, nutmeg, baking soda, and baking powder in mixing bowl.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until smooth and creamy. Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each addition is mixed in, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and on low speed add the flour mixture. Mix in the chopped peanuts.

Scoop dough into desired size and roll into a ball. Drop ball into the rolling sugar and coat.

Place on baking sheets with about 2 inches of space between each cookie.

Dip the tines of a fork into the sugar and press the tines against each cookie. You should have a flattened round of dough with a criss-cross indentation.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are a lovely light golden brown. Remember to cool the cookies before popping one in your mouth, which can be quite the challenge!

Enjoy!

Dorie Greenspans Book: Baking from my house to yours by the Houghotn Mifflin Company

Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she and her family moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and husband Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.

Copyright 2008 Andrea R. Charroin. Visit my blog at bakerslove.typepad.com

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