Cookies for the Co-Workers

My dear husband started a new job last week, and this week requested I make some yummy cookies for him to take to his new co-workers. While it seems that these new people in our lives might be on the adventurous side (I considered my Cocoa Picantes), I decided to wow them with a more "normal" but delicious recipe.
I had saved this recipe from Southern Living, first published in May 2004.

Let me just say, these cookies looked JUST LIKE the picture (well, mine were a tad bigger), and were the perfect combo of crunchy-on-the-outside-yet-chewy/moist-on-the-inside, and salty and sweet.
Here is the recipe, with my changes in ( ).

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I used SmartBalance shortening)
1 cup chunky peanut butter (I used fresh ground nothing added)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat and probably ended up adding a total of 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I LOVE cinnamon in my choc. chip cookies, so I doubled

(1 1/2 tsp. vanilla)
1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1 (11.5-ounce) bag chocolate chunks (I used 1/2 bag mini-semi-sweet choc. chips)

Preparation

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add chunky peanut butter and sugars, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture, beating well.

Stir in peanuts and chocolate chunks.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie). Flatten slightly, and place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Chunk-Peanut Cookies: Reduce flour to 2 cups; add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Proceed as directed.

Yield

Makes 28 cookies

Marsha Johnson, Montgomery, Alabama , Southern Living, MAY 2004