Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and levelled)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (use conventional, processed style)
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup (packed) Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions:
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Fats and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the softened butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides.
- Add Sugars: Add both the granulated and brown sugars. Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and noticeably paler in colour.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Combine Dough: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until the flour is just incorporated and no dry streaks remain. Stop the mixer immediately.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes. (This step is critical to prevent excessive spreading.)
- Scoop and Shape: Using a 1.5-inch cookie scoop, roll the dough into uniform balls. Place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Criss-Cross: Gently flatten each dough ball by pressing a fork onto it, rotate the fork 90 degrees, and press again to create the traditional crosshatch pattern.
- Bake and Cool: Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are set and lightly golden brown, but the centres still look slightly soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.