Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies: The Definitive Recipe for Soft Centers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine Dry: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
3. Cream Butter & Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add Peanut Butter: Mix in the peanut butter until thoroughly combined and the mixture looks uniform.
5. Incorporate Wet: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just incorporated. Do not overmix at this stage.
6. Add Dry to Wet: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined. Stop immediately once no streaks of flour remain to prevent gluten development.
7. Chill: Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. This mandatory step ensures thick, chewy cookies.
8. Scoop and Roll: Scoop the dough into uniform balls (about 1.5 tablespoons or 40g each). Roll each ball lightly in the extra granulated sugar.
9. Place and Press: Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving adequate space between them. Using a fork, gently press down on the center of each ball, then rotate the fork 90 degrees and press again to create the traditional criss-cross pattern.
10. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes. The edges should be set and lightly golden, but the centers should still look slightly soft and underdone when removed from the oven.
11. Cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up beautifully as they cool.