perfect peanut butter cookies

I have been pondering what to call these cookies. Triple Threat Peanut Butter Cookies? Tres Peanut Butter? Holy fricken good god these are seriously delicious peanut butter cookies? Yes, perhaps that is an appropriate name for these. Because that pretty much describes them. 

The recipe comes from a blog I am have mentioned here before, and will definitely at some point again without a doubt- Smitten Kitchen, which she adapted from a NYC bakery, Magnolia Bakery . I adapted it slightly to what I had on hand. Deb added peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. I adapted, slightly, by adding chopped peanuts and miniature peanut butter cups. Oh yeah baby, that's right peanut butter cups. I think you can see one right there in that picture. It may seem to be just ordinary chocolate chips until you bite in and get that extra hit of peanut butter enrobed in smooth milk chocolate. 

These cookies take only about 10 minutes in the oven. At that point, Take. Them. Out. I know, they look slightly underdone. It's ok, trust me. Take them out of the oven, you will thank me later. They will continue to firm up into peanut butter nirvana. Sometimes peanut butter cookies to me are just TOO peanut buttery. Stick to the roof of your mouth in a way you don't want a cookie to do. These, on the other hand hit every note perfectly. They are moist. Peanut buttery, without being dry at the same time. I think you get it, right? Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies. There that is what I should call them. Your mouth will thank me. Your hips, on the other hand not so much.

Peanut Butter Cookies

You can print the recipe, here

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted from the Magolia Bakery Cookbook

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup miniature peanut butter cups, cut into small pieces

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter, peanuts, and cups. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.