Colder Comforts

Here's a homely treat that delivers a double dose of pleasure in peanut butter and chocolate. The cookies I made a couple of nights ago. The ice cream I thought about making, but then I was thinking about how much better one of these ice cream sandwiches would taste now and not tomorrow, so I just walked to the corner store and bought a pint of Häagen-Dazs. And for anyone who turns up their noses at butter flavored Crisco -- don't knock it till you've tried it!

Perfectly Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups white sugar
8 tbs (4 oz) unsalted butter
8 tbs (4 oz) butter flavor Crisco
3 large eggs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped extra fine

Preheat oven to 300. Whisk together flour soda and salt. Mix butter, shortening, and sugars. Add eggs, peanut butter, vanilla. Add flour mixture and nuts and stir just to combine. Drop by tablespoons (I use a #50 scoop) and bake in the center of the oven for 17-20 minutes. Centers of the cookies should still be puffed and very soft.