Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Get a glass of milk - you'll need it! These cookies are thick with peanut butter flavor. PB cookies made with butter tend to be flavorful and crunchy; ones made with shortening tend to be chewy but less flavorful. So I use mostly butter in these, with just a touch of shortening. That makes them slightly softer (but not quite chewy), while keeping that buttery flavor. This recipe is a cross between an old family recipe and one I found in my best cookbook. I really think it is the best Peanut Butter Cookie ever - And you can add any number of chips, nuts, or candies into this dough, so it's versatile too!

1 Cup Peanut Butter (Chunky or smooth depends on whether you want bits of peanut in the cookies)
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
2 Tablespoons Shortening
1 Cup brown sugar (I like dark brown for more depth of flavor, but light brown or half white/half brown sugar will work too)
2 Eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Flour*
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Optional: Add Peanut Butter Chips or Chocolate Chips (1/2 to 1 Cup as desired)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the Butter, Shortening, Peanut Butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda with a fork until well-mixed. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until smooth. Add any chips/nuts you want to at this point.

Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and the tops no longer look shiny.

*If using all natural Peanut Butter, which is more runny, increase the flour to 1 3/4 cups.