Here are a few tips before baking:

• Room Temperature Butter & Eggs
  About 10 or 20 minutes before baking, I like to take the butter AND eggs out of the fridge. You want the butter to be softened, so when you gently press your finger into it, you have a small indent. The reason? The butter and eggs should about the same temperature, so they mix effortlessly.
• Press The Dough Before Baking
  To ensure that you get a nice large cookie, I like to press down each ball of dough with the bottom of a glass (before marking with a fork). Press gently, flattening it into a ½ flat circle; this makes sure that the cookies bake into the perfectly round shape that I love.
• Storing Leftovers
  Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, you don’t finish all of the cookies in one day. No worries! They will stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure to keep them in an airtight container.
• Storing Unbaked Dough
  Sometimes you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, or maybe you only want to make a few cookies today and save the rest for next week. Both options are super easy with this dough. The dough can keep in the freezer for up to three months. Just make sure it is in an airtight freezer-safe container. I would also recommend scooping/flattening the dough and placing on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes before transferring to a freezer-safe container; this will keep the dough from freezing together. Also, as long as the dough is pre-scooped, there is no need to thaw the dough when you are finally ready to bake. Simply bake the cookies for about 1 minute longer. (Keep your eye on them; they might need a little more time.)

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter, Softened

• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar

• ¾ Cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed

• 2 Large Eggs at Room Temperature

• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

• 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

• 3 Cups + 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

• ½ Teaspoon Salt

• ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar, for rolling (optional)

• Flaky Sea Salt (optional)
  
  
  

Directions:

1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, combine butter and both sugars. Mix on medium for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Taking breaks to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is fully incorporated.

2. Once smooth, add the eggs in one at a time and mix on medium/high for about 1 minute, or until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

3. Add the vanilla and peanut butter to the bowl, mix on high until combined.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low until combined. Make sure not to overmix.

6. Once the dough is combined (you will know it is ready because it will be pretty thick and sticky), scoop and chill.

7. First, pour that last ⅓ cup of sugar into a bowl. Then scoop out the dough using a scooper (or spoons), I like to use a 3 tablespoon scoop, and roll each ball of dough in the sugar making sure it is fully coated.

8. Place each ball of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and flatten the top of the dough with a glass making sure not to flatten it to thinner than ½ inch.

9. Chill baking sheet with dough in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (maximum of 2 days.)

10. Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge.

11. As you allow the dough to come to room temp preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

12. Once the oven is preheated and the dough is room temp, place a few of the dough disks onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

13. Use a fork to lightly press a criss-cross pattern in the tops of each of the cookies. This is a must, in my opinion, because it lets everyone know these are peanut butter cookies.

14. This is optional, but if you want, sprinkle a bit of flaky salt on top of the cookies before placing them in the oven.

15. Bake for about 11-13 minutes rotating halfway at the six-minute mark. The centers will look very soft and undone but the edges should be lightly browned.

16. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.