Nancy Silverton's Best Peanut Butter Cookies

For the Toasted Peanuts 375 grams (3 cups) skin-on Spanish peanuts 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other neutral-flavored oil, such as safflower) 1½ tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt For the Dough 2 extra-large eggs 2 tablespoons pure vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 140 grams (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour 130 grams (1 cup) sorghum flour 170 grams (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed 270 grams (1 cup) creamy peanut butter 180 grams (about ¾ cup plus 2½ tablespoons) granulated sugar 110 grams (½ cup plus 2 teaspoons packed) dark brown sugar 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt ½ teaspoon baking powder For Finishing 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar 270 grams (1 cup) peanut butter (preferably creamy) 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt method To toast the peanuts, adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the peanuts on a large baking sheet, drizzle them with the oil, sprinkle with the salt, and toss to coat them. Spread the peanuts out in an even layer and toast them on the center rack of the oven until they are dark mahogany in color, 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally and rotating the pan front to back halfway through the toasting time so the peanuts brown evenly. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool the nuts to room temperature. (If you think they are on the verge of being overtoasted, transfer them to a plate so they don’t continue to cook from the residual heat of the pan.) Turn off the oven. To make the dough, whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl. Combine the all-purpose and sorghum flours in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to combine. Put the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat at medium speed until the butter is softened but still cold, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula whenever butter is accumulating. Add the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the baking soda, salt, and baking powder and beat on medium speed for about 15 seconds to incorporate the additions. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the egg/vanilla mixture, mixing until the egg is completely incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the combined flours and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds until no flour is visible. Stop the mixer, remove the paddle and bowl, and clean them with the spatula, scraping from the bottom up to release any ingredients from the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is chilled and firm, at least 30 minutes. Adjust the oven racks so one is in the top third and the other is in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. To finish the cookies, pour the granulated sugar into a small bowl. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and reserve it. Scoop the dough into 21-gram (1½-tablespoon) portions and roll each portion into a ball. Roll the balls in the sugar to coat them and place 12 cookies on each of the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1½ inches between them. (Re-cover the remaining dough and return it to the refrigerator.) Press your thumb in the center of each ball of dough and turn your thumb to expand the divot slightly and make it round. Spoon 1 teaspoon of peanut butter into each divot and sprinkle a generous pinch of flaky sea salt on top. Place one baking sheet on each oven rack and bake the cookies for 4 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and pile a mound of peanuts (about 20) in the center of each cookie. Return the baking sheets to the oven, switching racks and rotating the sheets front to back, and bake the cookies until they are golden brown, have puffed up, and are just beginning to collapse, 4 to 5 minutes. (You want the cookies to be slightly underdone, so they will feel soft to the touch. They will firm up when they cool.) Remove the cookies from the oven. If any of the cookies have become misshapen during baking, gently cup your hands around the edges to reshape them. If the cookies spread so much that there are gaps between the peanuts, add a few of the remaining peanuts to each cookie so you have a pretty, abundant nut cluster on each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. Bake the remaining cookies in the same way.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

I made these for the groom's dinner and then took leftovers to work--this was one of the cookies I got asked about. 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 egg Juice of 1/2 lemon Zest of 1 lemon 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Glaze 3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1. For the cookies: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and well blended. Beat in the egg, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Scrape down the bowl and beater and add flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and baking soda, beating everything together until fully incorporated. 2. Dust a countertop with a small amount of flour and turn dough out. Knead lightly and shape into a log. The shape is up to you—can be round or square. You can divide the dough into two logs, if that works better for your refrigerator. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. You can also double wrap the dough logs, place in a freezer container, label and freeze for up to 2 months. If using frozen dough, set out on counter while the oven preheats, to make the dough easier to slice. 3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. Place cookie dough log on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice 1/4-inch slices. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until the cookies are a light golden brown on the edges. While cookies are baking, make glaze by combining lemon juice, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest. Use a spatula to gently remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack set over wax paper or foil (to catch drips) to cool slightly. Use a brush to spread glaze on cookies while they're still warm. Let cookies dry and place them in airtight containers for storage. (As if. They'll be gone before you can turn around.) It's a good idea to put parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers of cookies.

Tahini Crisps

My baking friend and I made this for my son's wedding, and then took them on a work trip and the only recipe that I got asked for was this one. They are not too sweet, but buttery and nutty. ¼ cup firmly packed (54 grams) light brown sugar, preferably Muscovado 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter (½ stick), softened ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (143 grams) tahini, preferably Soom brand, at room temperature ½ lightly beaten large egg (25 grams) ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pure vanilla extract ½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons (71 grams) bleached all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon (2.7 grams) baking soda A pinch of fine sea salt ¼ cup (42 grams) hulled sesame seeds, for coating Make the dough: In a food processor, process sugars for several minutes, until very fine. With the motor running, add butter one tablespoon at a time and process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add tahini and process until smooth and creamy. In a small bowl, whisk together beaten egg and vanilla extract. Add egg mixture to food processor and process until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to food processor and pulse just until incorporated. Scrape dough into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to overnight, to firm for shaping. When ready to bake, set an oven rack in middle position. Set oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into balls: Place sesame seeds in a small bowl or ramekin. Measure out 10 pieces of dough, 1 level tablespoon (18 grams) each. Roll each piece of dough between the palms of your hands to form a 1-inch ball, then roll ball in sesame seeds to coat. Place balls 1½ inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet a half turn. Continue baking until cookies lightly brown and centers, when lightly pressed, have barely any give, 6-9 minutes. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet until firm enough to lift, about 1 minute. Use a thin pancake turner to transfer cookies to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Sesame Cookies

I started baking out of the Cookie Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum with my long term baking companion (she has all the talent, I just follow directions, more or less), and these were quite good, not too sweet, and pretty. ¼ cup firmly packed (54 grams) light brown sugar, preferably Muscovado 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter (½ stick), softened ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (143 grams) tahini, preferably Soom brand, at room temperature ½ lightly beaten large egg (25 grams) ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pure vanilla extract ½ cup plus 1½ tablespoons (71 grams) bleached all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon (2.7 grams) baking soda A pinch of fine sea salt ¼ cup (42 grams) hulled sesame seeds, for coating Make the dough: In a food processor, process sugars for several minutes, until very fine. With the motor running, add butter one tablespoon at a time and process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add tahini and process until smooth and creamy. In a small bowl, whisk together beaten egg and vanilla extract. Add egg mixture to food processor and process until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to food processor and pulse just until incorporated. Scrape dough into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to overnight, to firm for shaping. When ready to bake, set an oven rack in middle position. Set oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough into balls: Place sesame seeds in a small bowl or ramekin. Measure out 10 pieces of dough, 1 level tablespoon (18 grams) each. Roll each piece of dough between the palms of your hands to form a 1-inch ball, then roll ball in sesame seeds to coat. Place balls 1½ inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes. Rotate cookie sheet a half turn. Continue baking until cookies lightly brown and centers, when lightly pressed, have barely any give, 6-9 minutes.

Chocolate Orange Sablés

These may be a cookie with more moisture in them than the traditional cookie, but they are really good and not impossible to make. 1 cup [227 g] unsalted butter at room temperature 1 cup [200 g] granulated sugar 1 tablespoon [3 g] orange zest 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg yolk at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups [284 g] all-purpose flour 1/4 cup [32 g] finely chopped candied orange peel 1/4 cup [43 g] semisweet mini chocolate chips 1 cup [200 g] turbinado sugar or sanding sugar In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar, orange zest, and salt, and beat again on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg yolk and vanilla, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Add the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the candied orange peel and chocolate chips and mix again until combined. Transfer the dough to a workspace and form the dough into a 12 inch [30.5 cm] long log. Place the log on a large piece of plastic, a few inches longer than the log. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over each side of the log, covering the outside of the dough. Gently press the sugar into the dough with your hands. Wrap the log in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the dough log into ¼ inch [6mm], and place the rounds about 2 inches [5 cm] apart on the prepared pans. Bake, one batch at a time, until the edges are very light golden brown and the centers are still pale, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Move the pans to wire racks and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Hand Mixed Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are hand mixed--which Genieveve Ko contends makes the cookies crisper on the edges and more tender in the middle. You also make them smaller, so they can let more people try them more times. I see them as a good recipe to take for a pandemic family trip, where you rent a house and cook for yourselves but you are at the mercy of what the kitchen has. You can buy a cookie sheet if need be (I never do this, but I should really look at how far the Airbnb is from a thrift store and a good market as much as gauging the view), but you are unlikely to buy a mixer. ¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 8 tablespoons/114 grams unsalted butter, softened ½ cup/94 grams packed brown sugar ¼ cup/59 grams granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups/134 grams old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup/189 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips ½ cup/63 grams chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then stir in the cream and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and fold until evenly distributed. Loosely scoop a rounded ball of dough using a measuring tablespoon or small cookie scoop and drop onto a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 2 inches apart. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.