Peanut Butter Spritz

Here’s a glamorized peanut butter cookie for your holiday cookie tray.    Who doesn’t like peanut butter and chocolate?  If you don’t have a cookie press, don’t throw this recipe away – make plain peanut butter cookies just like Grandma’s.  This is probably the recipe she used, from the red 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book.   My brother-in-law, Don, says these are really, really good peanut butter cookies.
I purchased my cookie press, complete with the box and the original book, for $2 from the local church thrift shop.  They had a boxful of cookie presses to choose from.        

                           Peanut Butter Spritz

     ¼       Cup  Shortening -- (1 ½  ounces)

     ¼       Cup  Butter – softened (2 ounces)

     ½       Cup  Peanut Butter (5 ounces)

     ½       Cup  Sugar -- (3 ½  ounces)

     ½       Cup  Brown Sugar -- packed (4 ounces)

  1           Large  Egg

  1 ¼       Cups  Flour, All-purpose -- (6 ounces)

     ½       Teaspoon  Baking Powder

     ¾       Teaspoon  Baking Soda

     ½       Teaspoon  Salt

·         Mix shortening, butter, peanut butter, sugars and egg thoroughly.  Blend all dry ingredients; stir into shortening mixture.  Chill dough 1 hour. (I didn’t think it needed to be chilled before pressing)

·         Heat oven to 375°.  Using cookie press with a star plate; make 2 1/2" fingers.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

·         Cool.  If desired, dip one end in melted chocolate (1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening), then into 3/4 cup salted chopped peanuts.

** You can simply roll this dough into 1¼“ balls (I use a #60 scoop).  Place 3" apart on lightly greased baking sheet.  Flatten with a fork dipped in flour.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Yield:  "6 Dozen" Spritz or 3 dozen plain peanut butter cookies.

2010 Cost:  $1.78 per plain recipe.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 41 Calories; 2g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 48mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.