1-First Step: Preparation and Heating Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Getting the oven hot before you put the cookies in is essential for even baking. While the oven heats up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This prevents the cookies from sticking and makes cleanup much easier. It also helps them bake more evenly by insulating the bottom slightly.

2-Second Step: Dry Ingredients Mixing In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and the 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder. Sifting breaks up any clumps in the flour and aerates it, which leads to a lighter cookie. After sifting, whisk the two together gently to make sure they are evenly distributed. Set this bowl aside for later.

3-Third Step: Creaming Butter and Sugars In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon, beat these ingredients together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes with a mixer. The process creates air pockets in the butter, which helps the cookies rise properly. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate everything evenly.

4-Fourth Step: Incorporating Peanut Butter and Wet Ingredients Add the 1 cup of peanut butter to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on medium speed until the peanut butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and uniform. Next, beat in the 1 large egg and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix until the egg is completely blended in. The dough might look a bit soft or sticky at this point, which is normal.

5-Fifth Step: Combining Wet and Dry Mixtures Turn your mixer speed down to low. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. It is important not to overmix at this stage. Beat the dough just until you no longer see streaks of white flour. Overmixing can develop too much gluten, resulting in tough cookies. The dough should be thick and moldable.

6-Sixth Step: Shaping the Cookies Scoop out portions of dough and roll them into one-inch balls using your hands. Try to make them as uniform as possible so they bake at the same rate. Place these balls onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space between each one to allow for spreading.

7-Seventh Step: The Crisscross Pattern Take a fork and dip the tines into a little bit of granulated sugar to prevent sticking. Press the fork down onto the top of a dough ball to flatten it slightly, creating ridges. Repeat this in a perpendicular direction to create the classic crisscross or crosshatch pattern. This step is not just for looks; it helps the cookies bake evenly by pressing down the dense dough.

8-Eighth Step: Baking to Golden Perfection Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. You want to remove them from the oven when the edges just start to change color but the centers still look slightly soft and underbaked. They will continue to cook on the hot baking sheet after you take them out.

9-Final Step: Cooling and Serving Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. This is a critical step because peanut butter cookies are fragile when hot. Letting them set on the pan ensures they firm up and hold their shape. Once they are completely cool, you can transfer them to a wire rack or store them in a container. Enjoy them with a glass of milk or no-churn vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert.