Peanut Butter Cookies
(recipe adaptation courtesy of: Cook's Illustrated, March/April 1998)
Makes approximately 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 Lb butter (2 sticks), salted
1 C firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 C granulated sugar
1 C extra-crunchy peanut butter, preferably Jif
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground to consistency of breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter until creamy.  Add sugars and beat until fluffy. (~3 min, w/elec. mixer)
Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated (don't overbeat), then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. 

Gently stir dry ingredients into peantbutter mixture.  Add ground peanuts, and stir gently until just incorporated.

Baking

Roll a bit less than 2Tbs of dough into a ball, and place on parchment covered cookie sheet.  Using a dinner fork dipped in cold water, make the traditional criss-cross pattern in each cookie.