Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set pan aside. In medium bowl, use hand mixer to mix together peanut butter, sugar, egg, vanilla extract (optional), and salt until smooth and creamy.
Use cookie scoop to portion out dough. Roll each scoop between palms to shape into small balls (see Notes if dough is hard to roll), then arrange dough balls on cookie sheet, being careful not to place them too close together. Use fork to flatten each ball and create criss-cross pattern on top of cookies.
Bake cookies for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden and cookies are slightly firm. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to plate or cooling rack to finish cooling.
Enjoy these nutty and delicious peanut butter cookies with a glass of milk!
Crunchy or creamy peanut butter will work for these cookies!