Peaut Butter Cookies

My favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe comes from the Beary Special Cookbook, of course. It is the best cookie/dessert cookbook ever made. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, when we were kids, the school district had all the students turn in their favorite recipes. Needless to say, the dessert section is huge. There are 10 different sugar cookie recipes and even more chocolate chip cookie recipes. This way, if I want to make cookies, and I'm low on certain ingredients, I just page through until I find a recipe that calls for the ingrdients that I have on hand. Anyway, I am totally off subject.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk (optional) I always add it.

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

3 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugars. (I've learned that if you cream the shortening and sugars for a long time like 7-8-minutes the consistency changes and it makes for better cookies). Add egg, vanilla, milk, then peanut butter. Mix dry ingredients together, then add to wet mixture. Roll piece of dough size of walnut in hand. Place on cookie sheet covered in parchment (it does make a difference). Press down lightly with a fork for that nifty design on top of all peanut butter cookies. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. A friend, whose parents owned a catering business, told me to take the cookies out of the oven as they start to brown. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a few extra minutes to finish the baking process and you will have softer cookies.