1/2cupshortening or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1/2cuppacked brown sugar
1/2teaspoonvanilla extract
1large egg, beaten
1/2cupcreamy peanut butter
2cupsall-purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1/4teaspoonsalt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Cream together the shortening, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in the egg and then blend in the peanut butter. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until a smooth dough is formed. (If it’s a little sandy, that’s okay as the dough will come together when you form the cookies.)
Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press the balls down with a fork making a crisscross pattern. Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes. These are super soft when they come out of the oven and need time to harden a bit.
Notes
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips for a peanut butter and chocolate cookie.