This recipe was the winner of a contest for the best peanut butter cookies. The main ingredient is “all-natural” peanut butter, which is chosen not for any imagined health benefit, but because it is more liquid than conventional peanut butters because the oils are not hydrogenated. Thus, the batter comes together quite smoothly.

• 4 Tb unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¾ cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus 2 Tb all-purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• Maldon salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the whole egg and then the egg yolk and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, soda and sea salt, and then add to the wet ingredients and mix until evenly combined.
6. Put a scoop of granulated sugar into a mixing bowl. Using a cookie scoop, roll the batter into 1-inch balls and then roll them in the sugar. Arrange a dozen of these balls on the baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake until they have puffed up and are set on the edges but still somewhat soft in the middle, about 12 minutes.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle each with a pinch of Maldon salt. Then slide the whole parchment sheet and cookies over to a wire cooling rack and cook the remaining cookies on new parchment sheet.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

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