Peanut-Butter Crisscrosses

The classic peanut butter cookie with those signature fork marks pressed into the top. A full cup of peanut butter gives these an intense, roasted nut flavor, while the brown sugar and white sugar combo creates a cookie that’s crispy on the edges and slightly chewy in the center.

The fork press isn’t just decorative. Peanut butter dough is dense, and those crisscross marks flatten the balls to an even thickness so they bake uniformly. Without it, you’d get raw centers and burnt bottoms. Flour the fork first or the dough sticks and pulls right back up.

Brown sugar outweighs white sugar in this recipe by double, which keeps the cookies soft and chewy rather than snappy and crisp. The molasses in brown sugar holds moisture and adds a caramel undertone that rounds out the peanut butter flavor.

Kitchen Tips

• Use creamy peanut butter for a smoother dough that rolls easily into balls. Chunky works but makes rolling harder.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them at 10 minutes when the edges are barely golden. They firm up significantly as they cool on the sheet.
• Cream the margarine and sugars thoroughly before adding the peanut butter. This aerates the dough and makes lighter cookies.

Variations

• Press a chocolate kiss into the center right after baking for peanut butter blossoms.
• Use butter instead of margarine for a richer flavor and better browning.
• Add a cup of chocolate chips to the dough for a peanut butter chocolate version.