From the Vault: Double Peanut Cookies

One of the hardest things about editing each of our Short Stack editions: there’s never enough space! Too often, our authors come up with extra amazing recipes that don’t make it into the final cookbook, simply because we don’t have enough room. So in our new series “From the Vault,” we’ll be giving this incredible recipes a home on our blog. First up, a cookie recipe from our Peanuts edition that you’ll definitely want to bookmark.

There is only one thing that beats soft, freshly baked peanut cookies. That thing is Double-Peanut Cookies. And chef Steven Satterfield, author of our Peanuts edition, knows how to do it right--he kicks up the nutty factor by using peanut butter and peanut flour in his recipe. For those who can’t get enough of peanuts, or for those who have a peanut butter lover in their life: this recipe is for you. And the full edition might be for you, as well. These chewy, melt in your mouth cookies (or cookie dough if they don’t make it that far) are a game changer.

Peanut butter and candied peanuts tag team here to make an exceptionally rich and decadent peanut cookie. Because I prefer a softer cookie, I tend to err on the side of underbaked. (If we’re being honest, sometimes they don’t even make it to the oven, and I end up snacking on the raw dough.) But if you prefer crispier cookies, bake them completely. You can choose to either bake all the cookies in batches, or refrigerate what does not fit onto one pan for a later treat.  -Steven Satterfield

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup natural peanut butter

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup peanut flour (see Note)

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup chopped candied or honey-roasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 325° and place a rack in the center position.
 
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugars by mixing at medium speed for 1 minute. Stop the motor to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then turn the motor on and beat the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter to the bowl and mix at medium speed until fully incorporated. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, peanut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix at the lowest speed until partially incorporated. Turn the motor off, and add the remaining flour mixture and the candied peanuts. Mix at low speed until the batter is fully incorporated. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into balls and arrange them on the prepared sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or just until set. Because ovens differ in temperature, be sure to check the cookies halfway through and rotate as needed.

Note: If you don’t have the candied peanuts handy, it’s fine to substitute roasted peanuts and increase the granulated sugar to ½ cup. Also, if you don’t have peanut flour handy, just substitute all-purpose flour.

(Photo: Shanna Cooper)