Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons butter or 10 tablespoons margarine, room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I prefer chunky)
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups peanuts, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.

2. Spead oats on baking sheet and toast in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until oats are golden brown, stirring occassinally. Set aside.

3. Increase oven temperature to 350-degrees F.

4. Combine flour, orange peel, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

5. In a separate bowl cream butter and peanut butter until light.

6. Add sugars (brown and white) and beat until light and fluffy.

7. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating. Stir in vanilla.

8. Fold in flour mixture.

9. Fold in browned oatmeal and peanuts.

10. Drop batter onto baking sheets by tablespoons, spacing 3-inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly with a fork making criss-cross lines on the cookies.

11. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done (cookies will begin to brown around edges).

12. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to racks to finish cooling.