The BEST Peanut Butter Cookies

Did you know that today is National Peanut Butter Day?  Did you know that there was a national peanut butter day?  I didn't until a couple of hours ago.  A couple facts about peanut butter:

• An average American child eats 1,500 PB&J sandwiches before graduating from high school.
• It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
• Americans eat around 700 million pounds of peanut butter per year (about 3 pounds per person).
• I definitely eat more than 3 pounds a year...due largely in fact to these cookies.  

When I was pregnant with Malacai {or was it Lincoln...}, Dunkin Donuts had delicious peanut butter cookies with chunks of peanut butter cups in them.  I craved them something fierce.  But buying cookies daily can get expensive.  So my mom said, let's make them.  And she showed up at my house with a bag of peanut butter cups and we pulled out a cookbook and found a peanut butter cookie recipe and went to work.  And these little bad boys - so, so delish.  They are one of my favorite cookies.  Ever.  And one of my most requested.
I make them on the smaller side.  I think that helps with texture.  They are soft, moist, so peanut buttery and just perfect!

Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, very soft {but not melted}
1 cup peanut butter {I use Peter Pan - just in case you're wondering}
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2½ cups all-purpose flour
appx. 28 miniature peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. If you'd like, line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. {If not, just use ungreased baking sheets}
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla till combined.  Add the flour {slowly} and mix just until incorporated.  Add in the chopped peanut butter cups and fold in gently with a spatula.
Drop small rounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 6-7 minutes.  The cookies may seem soft immediately after coming out of the oven but they will set as they cool. Do not over bake your cookies, please!  {This is the secret to soft cookies!!}  Let cool on the baking sheets about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Yields: 50ish cookies {I've never really kept track - sorry!}

Source: Cookies adapted from Better Homes & Gardens {a cookbook I have}.  Peanut butter facts from here.