Big, Super-Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies 
Yield: 36 Servings

Ingredients 

  2 1/2 c  all-purpose flour
    1/2 ts baking soda
    1/2 ts baking powder
    1/2 ts salt
    1/2 lb butter; (2 sticks), salted
      1 c  firmly packed dark brown 
           -sugar
      1 c  granulated sugar
      1 c  extra-crunchy peanut butter;
           - preferably Jif
      2 lg eggs
      2 ts vanilla extract
      1 c  roasted salted peanuts; 
           -ground in food
           processor to resemble bread 
           -crumbs; about 14 pulses
           (about 1 cup packed)

Instructions

Bringing the butter, peanut butter, and eggs to room temperature makes it
easier to blend the ingredients. Be sure to grind the peanuts, since
whole, and even chopped peanuts tend to slip out of the dough. If using
unsalted butter, increase salt to 1 teaspoon. Keep finished cookies
refrigerated in airtight container. To restore just-baked chewiness, wrap
a cookie in a sheet of paper towel and microwave for approximately 25
seconds. Cool before serving.
--
1. Adjust oven rack to low center position; heat oven to 350
degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
2. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add
sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, stopping to
scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully,
incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry,
ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts; stir gently
until just incorporated.
3. Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time (see illustration l,
below,), roll into large balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment
covered cookie sheet. Following illustration 2, below, press each dough
ball with back of dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross
design. Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but
not top, 10 to 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked). Cool cookies
on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to
cool completely. Makes 36 cookies.
4. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days.