Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (standard processed type)
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking trays with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (approx. 2–3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the peanut butter and beat until fully incorporated and smooth (about 1 minute).
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix this stage.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined and a soft, uniform dough forms. Stop immediately once the last streaks of flour disappear.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. (This mandatory chilling prevents spreading.)
- Scoop the dough using a 1.5-tablespoon scoop. Roll the dough between your palms into uniform balls. Place them on the prepared baking trays, spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Lightly dip the tines of a dinner fork in granulated sugar to prevent sticking. Press down lightly on the top of each cookie ball to flatten it slightly. Rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again to create the classic criss-cross pattern.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, until the edges are set and lightly golden brown, but the centers still look slightly soft. They should look slightly underdone when removed from the oven.
- Leave the cookies on the baking trays for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.