Crunchy Peanut Delight Cookies

1. Oven Setup

Position oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle levels. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper for easy cookie removal and cleanup.

2. Dry Ingredient Mixture

In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside this dry blend for later use.

3. Creaming the Base

In a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, cream the softened salted butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing. Blend in the extra-crunchy peanut butter until it's fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add in the eggs one by one, followed by the vanilla extract, mixing for another 30 seconds until the components are well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually introduce the dry ingredient mixture from step 2, mixing until just combined, about 30 seconds. Fold in the ground roasted peanuts until they're evenly distributed throughout the dough, taking care to stir the dough once more to prevent any flour pockets from forming.

4. Shaping the Cookies

Using two tablespoons of the cookie dough per cookie, roll the dough into balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2½ inches apart. Create the classic crisscross pattern on each dough ball by pressing with the tines of a fork that has been dipped in cold water; press once, then rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again.

5. Baking

Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake until they are puffy and exhibit a slight golden browning around the edges, but remain pale on top, ensuring a soft center, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remember to switch the positions of the baking sheets and rotate them halfway through the baking time for even cooking. Once baked, let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.