Step 1: Prepare Your Space

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Use silicone baking mats or parchment paper to line two baking sheets. Having everything ready creates a smooth baking experience.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

In a larger basin, incorporate the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This even distribution of leavening agents ensures your cookies rise properly and have consistent texture throughout.

Step 3: Cream the Fats and Sugars

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Beat the peanut butter and softened butter together in a large mixing basin until fully incorporated. Add both the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t rush this step—proper creaming incorporates air that helps create that perfect texture.

Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients

Beat in the egg until fully incorporated, then mix in the vanilla extract and milk. The mixture should be smooth and creamy with no streaks remaining. The milk adds moisture that helps create that signature chewy texture.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, which can develop too much gluten and make your cookies tough. When there are no longer any flour streaks visible, stop mixing.

Step 6: Shape the Cookies

Divide the dough into 1.5-inch-diameter balls using a cookie scoop or tablespoon (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Place them on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie for spreading.

Step 7: Create the Classic Pattern

Using the tines of a fork dipped in sugar (to prevent sticking), press a crisscross pattern into each dough ball, flattening them slightly to about 1/2-inch thickness. In addition to being classic, this famous peanut butter cookie recipe aids in uniform baking.

Step 8: Bake to Perfection

Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The secret to chewy cookies is removing them out when the center looks a little underdone. The edges should be just set and lightly golden, but the centers will look soft and not fully set.

Step 9: Cool Properly

Let the cookies sit on the baking pan for five minutes. During this crucial resting period, they might start to solidify their structure and complete cooking using residual heat. 4. Transfer them to a wire rack to complete cooling.