**Just like grandma used to make**

Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 ¼ C. flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. baking powder
½ C. shortening *(see note below)
½ C. peanut butter, any kind, although natural is the best
½ C. granulated sugar
½ C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

**note: there are a few substitutes you can use instead of shortening. You can also use butter, which will give you a similar taste, but the cookies will be crispier. If you want a chewy cookie, use the shortening. Also, if you want to be healthier, you can use ¼ C. of canola oil. The flavor is not quite as good, but you are cutting out some unhealthy fats. This is also why natural peanut butter is recommended. The flavor of the cookies will not change, but they will be healthier, as they will not contain partially-hydrogenated oils.

To prepare the cookies:

Pre-heat oven to 375F Grease one or two cookie sheets. Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter. Use a beater to blend until creamy. At this point, you can blend in the egg and the vanilla. Stir in the ingredients that were set aside, until well-blended. Create balls with the dough, about ¾” to 1” in diameter, and place them on the cookie sheet with one inch space between each ball. If you like bigger cookies, that is fine, you can make them whatever size you want. Flatten each cookie with a fork, and then sprinkle them with some white granulated sugar. Bake until just slightly golden on the corners, which is usually about 10-12 minutes. Like any kind of cookie, the amount of time they are cooked for is very very important. If you cook them even one minute too long, they will not taste as good, so once they are nearly ready, make sure to keep an eye on them.

Other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, these cookies are probably the most popular of all peanut butter recipes. The are a true classic….enjoy!!!

This is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It is super easy to make, and way, WAY too tasty. Highly addictive, so I recommend not keeping too many around…

1/4 C. Butter
3/4 C. Peanut butter (I prefer Peter Pan Peanut Butter, but any will work, including Natural)
1/4 C. Coconut
6 oz butterscotch chips
2 1/2 cups miniature colored marshmallows

Prepare a double boiler, so that the bottom part is boiling. Mix the first 4 ingredients together, and stir them together in the double boiler until melted. Remove from the double boiler. Stir in the marshmallows and immediately spread into a greased pan. The size doesn´t matter, as long as everything fits! Place in the fridge for 1 hour, then cut into squares….and voilá! One of the best peanut butter desserts you can make….

This peanut butter recipe has many variations, and the nice thing about it is you can easily modify the ingredients to make them match your tastes. For example, I often put in less butterscotch chips. I also like to add chopped walnuts, which make a delicious addition!! This dessert tends to be a huge hit with kids, which makes it ideal for parties or nights when there a going to be lots of kids in your house. However, I have also found that adults can´t keep their hands off of them!

What you need:

2 slices of bread

Peanut butter – any kind

Jelly/Jam – high quality if possible. The more fruit the better!

There are two very important things to keep in mind when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (aka PBJ). First, this sandwich is much much better FRESH!! If it is left too long, the jam eventually sinks into the bread, and changes the flavor of the sandwich completely! The other important point is to go HEAVY on the peanut butter and the jam. Lots of both makes a delicious sandwich!!

Directions:
Spread a good amount of peanut butter on one side of both pieces of bread. This is important to prevent the jam from soaking into the bread! Next, spread a large amount of jam on one of the slices. Add the other slice, and voila!! Sounds easy? That´s because it is! But it is also delicious

**Some people like to add butter on both sides of the bread. I´m not a fan, as I find I don´t like the flavor of the butter. Of course, it is worth testing to see if you like it.

As for the type of bread, jam, peanut butter, that is all up to personal preference. My favorite is: a creamy Kraft peanut butter, a jam with lots and lots of fruit (homemade if possible) and whole grain bread.

Variations:
Instead of jam, use nutella, to make a Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwich!