The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

One Year: NYT Mac and Cheese
Two Years: Strawberry Lime Pie Bars
Three Years: Brown Butter Coconut Bread

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
6 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, beaten to blend
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 16-ounce jar all-natural creamy peanut butter (preferably Smucker’s)
Flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast peanuts on a rimmed baking sheet until browned and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Meanwhile, cook butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, swirling pan often, until butter foams, then browns, 4–6 minutes. Transfer brown butter with solids to a medium bowl; chill, stirring every 5 minutes, until cooled and beginning to solidify, about 15 minutes. Whisk flour, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda in another medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg, egg yolk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and water in a large bowl until mixture is light and falls back on itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add dry ingredients, then increase speed to high and beat 1 minute to develop gluten and hydrate flour. Add peanut butter, toasted peanuts, and brown butter and mix on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Let dough rest at room temperature until slightly firmed up, about 10 minutes. Portion dough into 20 balls (about 2 heaping Tbsp. each) and transfer to 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Using a fork dipped in cold water, flatten cookies to ½” thick, making a crosshatch pattern on the top of each. Chill, covered, 1 hour. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt, then place baking sheet on middle rack in oven preheated to 350. Once cookies are in oven, increase heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake cookies until browned and edges are crisp, 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough.