Creative Cooking with Southern Flair!
Chewy Crunch
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chewy-crunchy 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: 13–15 minutes per baking sheet
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes to 1 hour 55 minutes when baking two sheets separately
Makes: Approximately 19 four-inch cookies using a 2-inch scoop, or 12 five-inch cookies using a 2½-inch scoop
Ingredients:
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 1¼ cups creamy peanut butter, such as Jif
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Equipment:
• Large baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• 2-inch or 2½-inch cookie scoop
• Fork or large serving fork
• Wire cooling rack
Directions
Texture Note: For a lighter, fluffier cookie, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars on medium speed for about 1½ minutes, stopping once the mixture looks slightly lighter and well combined. Avoid overbeating.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line large 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 powder, 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. A 2-inch scoop will make approximately 19 four-inch cookies; a 2½-inch scoop will make approximately 12 five-inch cookies.
Using a fork, gently press a crisscross pattern into the top of each cookie. For the larger cookies, use a large serving fork. Do not press the dough too firmly or flatten it too much.
Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 1 hour before baking.
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 13–15 minutes. Larger cookies may require an additional minute or two.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire rack.
To keep cookies edges crisp, store in a container that is not air-tight.