Thin Crispy Peanut Wafers Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted peanuts, additional peanuts, as topping
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sifted unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven, as the wafers will bake one sheet at a time.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°.
3. If you have cookie sheets with only one raised rim, use those or any cookie sheet turned upside down.
4. Line the sheets with foil, shiny side up, avoiding heavyweight foil for optimal baking. Set aside.
5. Pour 1 cup of salted peanuts into the bowl of a food processor with a metal chopping blade.
6. Add a few tablespoons of sugar and pulse the processor briefly about 10 times, until the nuts are coarsely chopped. It’s fine if some are powdery and some are whole; set aside.
7. Melt the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small pan over moderate heat, then set aside.
8. Combine the sifted flour and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a separate bowl; set aside.
9. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons of milk, the melted butter, and the remaining sugar. Beat until well mixed.
10. Add the sifted dry ingredients and the chopped peanuts to the egg mixture, and beat again until everything is combined.
11. Transfer the dough to a shallow bowl for easier handling. Lightly spray a foil-lined cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
12. Using slightly rounded tablespoonfuls (not heaping), place the dough on the sheet, keeping the mounds about 3 inches apart to allow for spreading.
13. Top each mound with a few additional peanuts, pressing them in gently if desired.
14. Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven. After 5 minutes, carefully reverse the sheet from front to back to ensure even baking.
15. As the cookies bake, they will rise, spread out, and then flatten into thin wafers with bumpy tops, reaching about 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 inches in diameter.
16. Continue baking until the wafers are golden brown, then remove from the oven.
17. If any cookies have run into each other, cut apart immediately while they are still hot.
18. Cool on the sheet for 1 or 2 minutes before sliding the foil off. Let the cookies stand until they are firm enough to peel away from the foil.