Peanut Butter Cookies

I woke up and stumbled to the kitchen.  The coffee was brewing and the dogs were wanting to come back in…and go out…and come back in….you get the idea.  I had decided that I would bake cookies first thing this morning to get the cookie jar filled up for the weekend.  Especially since my 21 year old was due to return from Spring Break in Cancun and he always heads to the cookie jar.

I opened the frig, took out the eggs so they could come to room temperature and groggily reached for the butter as well.  There was NO butter in the frig.  Well, that’s weird.  I always have butter in the frig for daily baking and cooking.  I guess I must have forgotten to bring some in from the storage freezer out in the garage.

So out to the freezer I go, even though I haven’t even poured a cup of coffee.  The butter shelf, which is always stocked, is EMPTY! NO BUTTER!

How is it possible that there is NO butter in my house?  It’s a staple, and I restock the shelf if it even gets half empty.  How has this happened???

Once the shock wore off, I considered running to the store to restock my butter shelf.  Then I realized that it was 3:20 am and the local grocery store in our small town is not open at that hour, along with everything else.  I could go to Wal-mart – open 24 hours and not too far away.  But then I decided against it. I may have to be awake at 3am but I do not have to face people that early!

So I decided to make something WITHOUT butter.  Crazy, I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Thinking back I remembered that my tried and true Peanut Cookie recipe uses only shortening.  Now this is not my recipe, y’all. This a recipe that I cut out from the package of Crisco shortening years and years ago.  I have used it over and over and have never found a peanut butter cookie that I like better!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup (1/2 stick) Butter Flavor Crisco Shortening
• 1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium speed until blended. Add egg and beat just until blended.
3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed and mix until just blended.
4. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls or use a cookie scoop to drop rounded cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.
5. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack and let cool completely before storing in an air tight container.