Chunky Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These peanut butter cookies lean on three texture moves at once: chunky peanut butter for body, salted peanuts for crunch, and a soft butter-brown-sugar base that bakes up chewy at the center.

No white sugar here. Going all brown sugar deepens the molasses notes and keeps the dough soft, which is what gives the cookies that bendable, chewy middle.

The critical step is pulling the trays at 9 to 10 minutes when they look just-set and golden at the edges. They will still seem underdone in the middle. Letting them firm up on the hot pan finishes the bake without drying them out.

Mix the chips and peanuts in last with a light hand. Overworked dough turns the cookies tough and flat.

Chef Tips

• Use salted peanuts. The salt cuts through the sweetness and keeps the cookies from tasting one-note.
• Drop slightly larger than teaspoon balls if you want crisper edges with bigger chew zones.
• Swap half the chips for butterscotch chips for a deeper caramel note, as the recipe suggests.
• Store in a sealed container with a slice of bread. The cookies stay soft for days.

Variations

• Stir in flaky sea salt on top right out of the oven.
• Use white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter, blonder cookie.
• Add a half teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon for warmth.