Peanut Butter Cookies

*3/4 cup peanut butter (I like extra crunchy)
*1/2 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening
*1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
*3 tablespoons milk
*1 tablespoon vanilla
*1 large egg
*1 3/4 cups flour
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine peanut butter, shortening, light brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown.
Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack; remove cookies to FOIL to cool completely.

The foil is my secret, it keeps them moist and delicious like the ones at the bakery that you love so much

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just make Toll House. Trust me.

Instead of light brown sugar use dark.

Instead of walnuts use pecans.

Oatmeal Cookies

*2 sticks soft butter
*1 cup brown sugar
*1/2 cup sugar
*2 eggs
*1 tsp vanilla
*1 tsp baking SODA
*1 tsp cinnamon
*3 cups Old Fashioned oats
*1 1/2 cups flour
*raisins are boring, Raisinettes are fabulous. Try a bag of butterscotch or peanut butter chips (or my new favorite, Heath brickle chips) mixed in with the dough

Mix butter and sugars until creamy, add eggs and vanilla

Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon

Slowly add oats

Toss in the good stuff and bake at 350 for 10 or 12 minutes

Cut Out Cookies

These are the best you'll ever taste, I swear

*6 egg yolks
*4 whole eggs
*2 cups softened butter
*2 1/8 cups white sugar
*7 cups all purpose flour
*1 tbsp baking POWDER
*1/2 tsp salt
*1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing:
*4 cups powdered sugar
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*hot water as needed
*food coloring, be sure to split the icing into separate bowls if you want to make different colored cookies

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each

Combine dry ingredients and stir slowly into sugar mixture

Cover and chill for at least one hour, over night in small batches is best

Preheat oven to 375

If you don't have fantastic cookie sheets, grease them.  Mine are naturally greasy because I use them a lot and they never really come totally clean after awhile.

Roll dough on floured surface to desired thickness (up to 1/2 inch) and cut

Bake for 8 to 10 to 12 minutes, watch them! As soon as the edges look golden, take them out.

Let cool 5 minutes on sheet, then put on wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Or if you like sugar cookies, sugar them before you bake them.  This is important.

Cranberry Almond Cookies

*1 cup softened butter
*1 cup sugar
*1 egg
*1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond if you really like almond)
*2 cups all purpose flour
*1/4 tsp salt
*1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
*1/2 to 1 cup chopped toasted almonds

Preheat oven to 350

Cream butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Taste it.

Add egg and beat well, blend in remaining ingredients

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets

Bake until golden, about 12 mins