Best Peanut Butter Cookies…in the world.

So, these are pretty much the best peanut butter cookies in the world. The recipe came from a ward cookbook, which I have discovered is a secret haven of amazing family recipes, handed down from generation to generation. I half this recipe, otherwise you end up with about 500 cookies.

5 1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 C butter
3/4 C shortening
1 3/4 C sugar
1 3/4 C brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C peanut butter
chocolate chunks (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in peanut butter. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and stir until well blended. Drop dough by tablespoonfulls onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges. Do not overbake.* Enjoy!

*Note from Jana: Cook for only 8 minutes! They will not look done!

Yield: 5 dozen 3″ cookies

Time to make: 20-30 minutes

Source: Ward cookbook entry by Steve and Laurie Hansen (submitted by Jana Peterson Young)