12 Days of Cookies - day 2

These are some of my husband's favorite cookies so, even though they are simple, I had to include them in our Christmas Countdown. If I don't feel like using all of the dough, I seal it in a zip-lock bag and save it for another day.

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp raw or sanding sugar (the big, coarse-grained sugar) OR un-wrapped chocolate kisses

Cream the butter, shortening, peanut butter and sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Sift the baking soda, salt and flour in and mix to combine. The dough should be thick, like play-dough.

For regular peanut butter cookies, roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet. With a fork, make a criss-cross pattern and slightly flatten the cookie (you will press the cookie down with the fork 2 times, at right-angles). Sprinkle with the raw or sanding sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, until cookie is set and edges are just slightly browned. Store in a plastic container to keep them soft.

For peanut-butter kiss cookies, roll the dough into balls but do not flatten them. Bake as directed above. Right as you take the cookie out of the oven, press the un-wrapped chocolate kiss into the center of the cookie, letting the edges crack. The heat of the cookie will melt the chocolate kiss but it will keep its shape. These are the best when they're warm.