Christmas Recipe to Remember: 'The Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies'

If you love peanut butter, this recipe is for you. The yield is about 30 cookies for one 18-ounce jar of peanut butter. Double or triple the yield with more peanut butter and other ingredients, of course.

A suggested alternative: Since you already intend to use peanut butter, substitute shortening for butter in this recipe.

Crisco bills its Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening as having 50 percent less saturated fat than butter and 0g of trans fats per serving.

The Whole Jar of Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 18-ounce jar peanut butter - smooth
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Stir in peanut butter. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Finally, stir in the peanuts.

Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies should look dry on top. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to cool completely on a rack.

Recipe courtesy Kevin Ryan, allrecipes.com