Peanut Butter Cookies

This week's selection is a request from my husband.  Truthfully, Peanut Butter was his second choice - his first was Chocolate Chip.  That request forced me into an admission I was hoping I wouldn't have to make quite so soon.  My deep dark cookie secret is that my Gram's Chocolate Chip Cookies were pretty mediocre.  My Mom's were far superior - softer, chewier, and with more chocolate chips.  There, I've written it out loud, the only criticism of my dear sweet Gram I've ever made.

My Mom also made these Peanut Butter Cookies, so I'm not sure which of them originated the recipe, but both made them quite well.  So many Peanut Butter cookies - especially those commercially prepared - are so soft and chewy I often think they are undercooked.  They frequently leave a grease spot on your napkin big enough to require industrial grade oil spill clean up material.  Yuck!   I really like this version - they are soft in the middle, a little more crispy - delicate even - towards the outside edges.  They are fun to make too - I remember I loved getting to make the fork indentations when I was a kid.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 C shortening
1 C sugar + some for rolling
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy, add egg until combined, then add peanut butter and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated.  Sift in dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.   Make cookies using 1 inch scoop, then make dough into balls with hands. Roll dough balls in sugar and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  With fork, press dough to flatten cookie, then again to create a cross-hatch pattern.  Bake cookies 12 - 14 minutes until golden brown.  Transfer to wire racks to cool.