Cookies – What function that is suitable for baking cookies

Peanut butter cookies don't spread as they cook, so you have to flatten them before hand. This ensures that the middle will cook through before the outside burns.

As for the pattern created, it actually creates slightly more surface area, so you'll get more browning at the extra edges that you create. Think of it like a meringue, or the top of a shepherd's pie -- if it's too smooth, you won't get the little bits of browned crispy bits that you'd get if you rough up the surface.

You're going to have more issues with cookie-spreading than anything else, because your fat is going to get all warm. If you have a lot of fat in your cookies, you're definitely going to want to put the dough back in the fridge. If the dough is a hard dough, and you don't expect your cookies to significantly change shape during cooking, I wouldn't worry about it.

There is no concern for spoilage for an hour or less on the counter.