Friday Recipe: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Was going to do a Valentine's Day cookie but these sounded so much better. And I didn't have to first find and then dig out from wherever I stashed the cookie cutters. And there was no Valentine's Day pressure to get them done.

Instead, I have delicious peanut butter cookies for any day, any season.

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter 1 cup butter flavored shortening 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.	In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, 1 cup creamy peanut butter and white and brown sugars. Add vanilla and then eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add slowly to creamy mixture.
3.	Shape into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten balls with a fork.
4.	Bake for 7-8 minutes depending on size (I tend to keep a close eye on them and remove them as soon as they start to get golden. This helps to make them chewy.) Cool on wire racks.
5.	To Make the filling: Combine 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a small bowl adding enough milk to make for a creamy, frosting like texture. Spread frosting on one cookie and top off to make "sandwich".