"The One" Peanut Butter Cookies

Awhile back my friend Kat asked if I'd found a good peanut butter cookie recipe. She was getting frustrated with dry dough turning out even drier cookies, and I knew what she meant. The last few pb cookie attempts gave me crumble-in-your-hand shortbread type stuff, not what we were looking for. As Kat put it, "I want a cookie that will BEND!"

Well who doesn't love a challenge? I went hunting and found a few recipes online and in books. I carefully compared ingredients, and, when available, reviews, and decided this one sounded like a good shot.

Frankly, it's perfect. I think this is as good as a peanut butter cookie can get, and that's pretty good. I had a hard time not eating them all. And yes, they were bendy, at least the first few hours. After that the outside hardened up a bit, and by the next day they were crunchy, but not stale by any means, and with a little zap in the microwave (or a dip in chocolate milk), they were back to bendy. And the flavor cannot be beat.
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 and put rack in center of oven. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through salt); set aside.

2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add the egg and combine, then add the peanut butter. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture, and beat until incorporated. Stir in the peanuts.

3. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in the remaining sugar and place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Using the back of a fork, gently press the cookies to form a crisscross pattern. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until just golden. Cool on racks. Makes 2 dozen cookies

Recipe from Real Simple, September 2005