The Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie Challenge

I have been searching for years to find the PERFECT peanut butter cookie recipe. In my opinion, the perfect peanut butter cookie is soft and really chewy on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. I'm going to try an experiment over the next few weeks and bake and rate several peanut butter cookie recipes. Here is the first recipe that I am going to try. It shows some promise. High moisture content in a cookie batter helps with "chewiness".I like the addition of the corn syrup. I'll let you know how this one turns out.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (Trial Recipe #1)

* 2 3/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
* 1 cup(s) creamy peanut butter
* 1 cup(s) packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoon(s) dark corn syrup
* 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
* 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in corn syrup, vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. Cover and refrigerate dough 30 minutes for easier shaping.
4. Shape dough by rounded measuring tablespoons into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place balls, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. With floured tines of fork, press and flatten each ball, making a crisscross pattern. Bake cookies 12 to 13 minutes or until pale golden. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.