Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Chewy Crisp
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chewy-crisp peanut butter cookies packed with rich peanut butter flavor, crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center—a classic cookie that’s hard to resist!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Baking Time: 14–15 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes when baking two sheets separately.
Makes: 1 1/2 dozen four-inch cookies using a 2-inch ice cream scoop.
Ingredients:
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1¼ cups creamy peanut butter, such as Jif
• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
What You'll Need:
• Large baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• 2-inch or 2½-inch cookie scoop
• Fork or large serving fork
• Wire cooling rack
Directions
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
Scoop level portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving enough room between the cookies for spreading. Roll each scoop into a ball, place back on sheet pan and using a large serving fork, gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 1 hour before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake one sheet at a time on the upper-center oven rack until the edges are lightly browned and the centers still appear slightly soft, approximately 14–15 minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack.
Cool completely and store in a container that is not air-tight.
It is normal for the crisp edges to soften during storage as moisture moves from the chewy centers to the edges.
To help restore crispness, place cookies on a baking sheet in a preheated 300°F oven for 4–5 minutes, then let cool uncovered.