Peanut Cookies

I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but given the choice between regular peanuts and peanut butter, I think I'd go peanut butter pretty much nine times out of ten. As much as I do love the nut form - they're one of the all-time bar snacks, and there's something really satisfying about picking them right out of the shell - but as soon as it goes into a non-traditional legume form (what's up, satay?), there's this textual transformation that is pretty damn magical. And yes, this was the start of a peanut butter deep dive that I don't regret one bit.

With these super-simple cookies you'll get best of both peanut worlds - the creaminess of the peanut butter that's been blended in right from the beginning, while the addition of the nuts gives the cookies a further peanut boost and extra crunch to boot.

What's mentioned below about the chocolate being optional? Don't fall for that old trick. Chocolate and peanut is one of the best combinations of all time, so you should totally go all in!

If you'd like to make them look a little bit dressed-up, press the balls down with a fork - first crosswise, then lengthwise to give them a criss-cross look. They're also pretty good as the base for an ice cream sandwich.