This is a recipe from the Mennonite cookbook “More with less”. If you like peanut butter in your cookies, try it. It’s the recipe I used every year at Christmas, when my sisters and I would busy ourselves in the kitchen baking dozen after dozen of cookies, and scarfing down dough with a spoon some say even the dough tastes good . This recipe yields loads of cookies! (If you actually bake the dough, that is!)

Ingredients:

- 1C shortening (margarine, lard or butter)
- 1/4 C peanut butter
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 C flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 C rolled oats
- 1-2 C chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. I use two cups.
- 1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 190 C/ 375 F
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light. Add peanut butter and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla and stir.

In another bowl, combine flour, soda and salt, mixing well. Add to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended.

Add rolled oats and stir, making sure all oats are well moistened and mixed into the dough.

Add chocolate chips and nuts (if using) and fold in.

Using two teaspoons, form mounds and place on a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet or oven tray, about 2 inches apart from each other.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

When cookies are done, let them cool on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with a mug of coffee or tea, or with a glass of milk. They are still my favorite cookies! ( with a few others…)