Best Peanut Butter Cookies

by Diane

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tesp baking soda
1/4 tesp salt
1 cup organic unsalted butter (softened at room temp)
1 cup peanut butter, chunky texture and at room temp (freshly ground at the grocery store is best!)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 extra large organic eggs (at room temp )
1 tesp pure vanilla (not imitation)
3/4 cup peanuts, salted and lightly toasted
Another variation use reese peanut butter cups, cut into pieces and stirred into the batter
Preheat oven to 350. Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir together dry ingredients in a bowl.

In mixer with a flat or paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the peanut butter and blend. Add both sugars to the mixture and mix until completely blended.

Using a fork or whisk, beat the eggs and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Add to the peanut butter mixture and mix until completely blended. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to ensure an even mix. Continue doing this until the egg blends into the mixture and smoothes out.

Slowly add the dry ingredients slowly in stages so it is completely blended. Scrap the sides with a spatula as you go to ensure everything gets completely mixed.

Add half of the peanuts to the mixture and blend by hand until mixed.

Using a large spoon scoop batter into balls or mounds. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Lightly dampen the back of a fork and press each cookie ball slightly to flatten it. Then make a cross-hatch pattern by lightly doing the same across the first set of marks.

Using remaining peanuts – press a few peanuts into the top of each cookie.

Cover one baking sheet with saran wrap and place in refrigerator while other two are baking. Place two of the baking sheets in the oven, one on the upper rack and one on the lower rack. Bake for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes switch the baking sheets rack positions and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets. Carefully remove and enjoy!

And put two cookies together with the filling in the middle.