Super-Nutty Cookies from a Nutty Pregnant Woman

As those of you who have experienced it know, there may be nothing more frustrating in pregnancy than watching your "due" date come and go with no baby in sight. No matter how many times you're told that the average first-time pregnancy is 41 weeks, that date becomes so ingrained in your thoughts that you simply can't believe your precious child-to-be would have the audacity to ignore it. Especially when it seems like everything is ready... I'm effaced! I'm dilated! Mucous plug lost! What more do you want kid?! Get the heck out here so we can meet you. There's also nothing like pregnancy to make a masochist out of you...every little twinge, every little spasm is a reason to celebrate--until it goes away and you're left feeling depressingly OK (or as OK as you can at 40+ weeks).

So, what do you do to keep your mind occupied so you don't go completely nuts? If you're me, you bake super-nutty cookies. I'm not sure exactly where this baking gene came from (I suspect my grandmother), but I've found baking to be a very therapeutic way to take my mind off of things...it's a good thing we have people to share the fruits of my labor with though (hah! definitely no pun intended), since two of us really don't need to consume 4 dozen cookies on our own...as tempting as it is to end my suffering in a fit of peanut butter bliss.

Anyway, I found this recipe online and thought it worth sharing--it's been a long time since I've had a good peanut butter cookie, and these definitely qualify. Enjoy!



SUPER-NUTTY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) unsalted, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (about 1 cup, packed ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs, about 14 pulses)

Adjust oven rack to low center position; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

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

In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes with electric mixer, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture. Add ground peanuts; stir gently until just incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons dough at a time, roll into large balls, placing them 2 inches apart on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Press each dough ball with back of dinner fork dipped in cold water to make criss-cross design. Sprinkle cookies lightly with granulated sugar.

Bake until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges, but not top, 10 to 12 minutes (they will not look fully baked). Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 7 days. To restore just-baked chewiness, wrap a cookie in a sheet of paper towel and microwave for approximately 25 seconds. Cool before serving.

Makes 50 cookies