peanut butter cookies

(adapted from lisa yockelson)

3 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (smooth) peanut butter

makes about 3 dozen cookies

For the dough, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice (if using) onto a sheet of waxed paper. 

Cream the butter in the large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on moderate speed for 3 minutes. Add the light brown sugar in two additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Add the granulated sugar and beat for two minutes longer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract. Add the peanut butter and blend until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the dough even-textured. On low speed, beat in half of the sifted mixture, then the balance of the sifted mixture. The dough will be moderately dense, creamy-textured, and sticky. Divide the dough into thirds and enclose each portion, patted into a flat slab about 1 inch thick (more or less), in a sheet of plastic wrap. Chill the dough, covered, for 3 hours (or overnight, if you wish).

Preheat the oven to 350* in advance of baking.

Line several heavy cookie sheets or rimmed sheet pans with oven-proof parchment paper. 

Scoop up heaping 2 tablespoon-size mounds of dough, roll into balls, and place on prepared baking sheets, placing about 3 inches apart. Gently flatten the cookie in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork dipped in sugar (or flour). 

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until set. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer them to cooling racks, using a wide off-set metal spatula. Cool completely. Store in an airtight tin.

* coarsely chopped roasted peanuts, 1 cup lightly salted or unsalted, can be added to the dough after the first half of the sifted ingredients are incorporated , using lightly salted peanuts creates a cookie with a salty-sweet contrast, unsalted peanuts a gentler flavor 

(if using lightly salted peanuts, reduce the amount of salt to 1/4 teaspoon)

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