Roasted Peanut-Topped Peanut Butter Cookies

For the holidays my mom received pounds and pounds of raw peanuts from her friend who has a peanut farm in Virginia. I considered making peanut butter, but after I roasted them, my family was just eating them by the handful. I was lucky enough to hide away a few cups and used some to top my favorite cookie: peanut butter cookies!

Ingredients 

makes approximately 20 cookies

Roasted Peanuts

• 5 to 6 cups raw, shelled peanuts
• Also needed: baking sheet, mixing bowl, cooling rack that the peanuts don't fall through

Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 stick (1/2 C) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• coarse sugar for garnishing
• oven roasted peanuts for garnishing

Procedure

Roasted Peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 

Spread shelled peanuts on prepared baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Start checking them around 20 minutes. You want them to be a nice light golden color. They will continue to cook, so remove them slightly more pale than you eventually want them to be.

Once they are cool enough to handle, place a wire rack over a large bowl and scoop the peanuts onto the rack a handful at a time.

Gently move them around so that the skins fall through, but the peanuts stay on top.

You'll end up with the skins in the bowl and the peanuts on top! Place in an airtight jar until read to use.

Peanut Butter Cookies

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter and sugar. Slowly add in egg and vanilla extract. Beat until well-combined.

In larger mixing bowl, blend together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Gently fold flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until completely moistened. Press it into a ball, then let chill for at least an hour.

During the last 15 minutes of chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scoop a tablespoon-sized piece of dough and roll into a ball and place onto cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. 

Sprinkle with coarse sugar and press one or two roasted peanuts into the top.

Place in the oven and bake for 9 to 11 minutes - or just until the cookies begin to brown. You don't want to over-bake them as they harden while they cool.

Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before serving. My family likes these hot out of the oven, but they are just as good once they are cooled, too.