(Not Half Bad) Peanut Butter Cookies

Do you like peanut butter?  I do.  TSM also has a fondness for peanut butter.  I don't think he's ever tried anything with PB that he hasn't liked- except a smoothie.  He doesn't care for PB in a smoothie. 

For some reason when it comes to peanut butter cookies, there is no love lost on me.  I find this peculiar since I really do like peanut butter.  I'll eat a peanut butter cookie if I make a batch, but for the most part I make these because it is TSM's favorite cookie and I enjoy spoiling him.  I probably spoil him too much but he's cute and stud muffinly, so I don't see myself holding back anytime soon. 




This recipe has been in my family since I was a little girl. I have no idea how my Mother came across it.  I'm not sure if it is my Grandma's, or if it came from a newspaper, magazine, peanut butter jar- I have no clue.  I just know that when I was about 20 years old, I copied this recipe onto a card after pillaging my mom's recipe box so that I could have a few recipes for my recipe box.  I've made a few very minor changes to it, but all in all, They're not half bad cookies.  (How's that for a GLOWING endorsement?!)  Come one, Come all to the AMAZING "Not half bad" peanut butter cookie!!  

Lawd do I need help... 

Anywho- Since I don't care for peanut butter cookies and I'm willing to sit down with a glass of milk and snarf on 1 or 2 of these I feel that they're good enough to share with you.  Additionally, if TSM can inhale 6 of these in one sitting and both my dogs drool profusely when they know 'Daddy' has some PB cookies, I think they're probably spectacular cookies, but since PB isn't an overly braggadocios food,  we'll stick to "Not half bad".  ;)

Just try the cookies. I promise you will like them.  Feel free to use chunky PB if that's how you roll.  You could even dip half of each cookie into some melted deep milk chocolate and set on waxed paper/parchment to dry.  Ooo- now see?  That is a PB cookie I could get behind!  If someone does that, will you let me know how they turned out? 


Not That Bad Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe by KaceyCooks

Makes: 21- 3" cookies or 3 dozen 2" cookies
Preheat oven: 375 degrees
Bake 8-10 minutes.    

INGREDIENTS:

Mix in a bowl and set aside:
1-1/4 cup AP flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. salt

Cream in mixing bowl:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup creamy natural (organic) peanut butter

Add to the above peanut butter mixture:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

• Combine the sugars, vanilla and egg with the PB mixture and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the flour in by 3rds, mixing after each addition until JUST mixed.

The scoop in the middle is the one I use.

• Shape into 1" to 1-1/2" balls (I use a medium scooper by Pampered Chef) and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

• Cris-cross the dough balls with the tines of a fork, dipped in sugar.  Sprinkle a little extra sugar over the tops of cookies if desired.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  Take them out when they are LGBD (light golden brown delicious) and just slightly underdone in the middle.  
• Slide cookies while still on parchment to a cooling rack.  Once fully cooled store in an airtight container. 

These cookies are crispy around the edges and chewy in the middle.  They do a good job of soaking up lots of milk, too.  This recipe can also be used to make those PB Blossom cookies that you adorn with a cute little Hershey's Kiss for the Holidays. 

One final note I'd like to make: TSM and I are trying to incorporate as many Organic and Non-GMO foods into our diets as possible.  These cookies were made using Organic eggs from a local farmer, organic flour, and homemade organic peanut butter.  I can't bring myself quite yet to pay $7.00 for 3 cups of organic sugar, but I'm sure the time is coming.  For now, I just bought sugar that said it was pure CANE sugar. If it doesn't say CANE it means it's from beets and beets are primarily a GMO crop.  :)