Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups smooth peanut butter, Skippy brand

coarse-grained sea salt, to finish

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the light brown sugar and eggs until incorporated.  Whisk in the vanilla extract.  Add the peanut butter and mix with a spatula until smooth and completely incorporated, and until no ribbons of peanut butter can be seen.  You know the dough is ready when it has the consistency of Play-Doh.

3.  Using a scoop or a spoon, form the dough into 12 approximately 2-inch balls and place them on the prepared rimmed sheet pan.  For smaller cookies, use a heaping tablespoon.

4.  Sprinkle the dough balls lightly with coarse-grained sea salt just before baking.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, turning the rimmed sheet pan once halfway through baking (for smaller cookies, bake for 16 to 18 minutes), When finished, the cookies will be lightly golden and cracked on top.  Let cool completely before serving.

5.  You can bake these cookies as soon as the dough is prepared, but they will retain their shape better if you freeze them for 15 minutes before baking.