Helen's Peanut Butter Cookies

A good friend in college gave me this yummy peanut butter cookie recipe. Unfortunately, she died of cancer shortly after graduating. Each and every time I see this recipe it reminds me of Helen and the good times we had in college.

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Yields: 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup shortening
• 1  cup  smooth peanut butter or 1  cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1  cup granulated sugar
• 1  cup brown sugar, packed
• 2  eggs
• 3  cups flour
• 2  teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup sugar (for top crossmarks on cookies)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; mix until combined.
5. Form cookie dough into balls.
6. Place on cookie sheet.
7. Dip the bottom side of a fork into the bowl of cookie dough.
8. Dip the bottom side of the fork into granulated sugar.
9. Take bottom side of fork with sugar and flatten cookie dough ball.
10. Dip fork bottom back into the sugar and flatten cookie dough ball the opposite way so as to make cross marks.
11. Do this for each cookie on the tray.
12. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
13. Allow to cool for 1 minute then remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack.