Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies lean on a single-sugar trick that makes a real difference: a generous cup and a quarter of brown sugar with no granulated white at all. The molasses in the brown sugar gives the cookie a softer, chewier crumb and a deeper caramel note than the standard half-and-half formula.

Vegetable shortening (rather than butter) is the other texture trick. It has a higher melting point, so the cookies hold their shape better and bake up tender instead of crisp at the edges. The fork crisscross is more than tradition; pressing the dough flat ensures the cookies bake evenly in the short 7 to 8 minute window.

Pull them when they look just barely set and still pale around the edges. They finish setting on the hot pan and stay soft in the middle as they cool on the rack.

Chef Tips

• Use creamy peanut butter, not natural; the oil separation in natural PB throws off the dough hydration and the cookies spread flat.
• Pack the brown sugar firmly into the measuring cup; loose brown sugar throws off the ratio and the cookies bake dry.
• Let the cookies sit on the hot sheet for two minutes after baking; they’re too soft to move immediately and will tear.
• Store with a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft for days.

Variations

• Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before pressing for a sparkly, slightly crisp surface.
• Press a chocolate kiss into the center as soon as they come out of the oven for the classic peanut butter blossom variation.
• Stir a half cup of crushed honey-roasted peanuts into the dough for extra texture and a sweeter peanut hit.