These cookies have a strong peanut flavor that comes from extra-crunchy peanut butter (Jif) as well as from roasted, salted peanuts that are ground in a food processor and worked into the dough. Salted butter brings out the flavor of the nuts.

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter at room temperature (Jif)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 1 pulses

1. Adjust oven rack to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper, or spray with Pam or Mazola.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with electric mixer, 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.

4. Working with generous 2 tablespoons each time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving 2-1/2 inches between each ball. Press each dough ball twice with dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design.

5. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking time (from top to bottom racks and back to front), until puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top, 10-12 minutes. Cookies will not look fully baked. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack with wide spatula to cool completely.

From America’s Test Kitchens.