Real big cookie

Crunchy at its edge, chewy in its center, this is an incredibly peanuty cookie. The recipe comes from Tish Boyle's book, The Good Cookie.

Adapting the recipe a little, I added crushed, dry-roasted peanuts to the cookie dough, which includes two sticks of butter, brown sugar and creamy peanut butter. I also sprinkled the peanuts on top of these bad boys to provide bursts of crunchy, salty, deep-peanut flavor.

Pulling them from the oven once they are golden on the edges guaranteed they would have a soft, chewy center.

These are far and away the best peanut butter cookies I've ever had. I'm sure you'll agree.

Jumbo Peanut Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

3/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts (plus extra for sprinkling on tops of cookies)

Whisk together dry ingredients, set aside.

Using electric mixer beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually beat in both sugars. Beat in eggs, one at a time. beat in vanilla. With mixer on low gradually add dry ingredients. Fold in chopped peanuts. Cover bowl and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet, or use parchment or silpat.

Scoop out dough with 1/4 cup measuring cup. Flatten dough with hand a bit. Use a fork dipped in flour to make a criss cross pattern in each cookie. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Bake about 15 minutes until golden around edges but still soft in the middle. Do not over bake them or they will not be chewy in the middle. Let them cool on wire racks.