I kind of look like Cookie Monster--Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies!

Everybody likes a good cookie with a glass of milk. But, sometimes cookies just feel like a pain to make. The batter generally has many components and then you're often stuck spooning out rows upon rows of cookies onto sheet upon sheet of parchement, trying to get rid of a bottomless bowl of cookie dough. I know what you're thinking--shape them into bars! Well no, that's not my solution. Bar cookies just don't yield the same satisfaction that single cookies do.

My solution is that the cookie you're making just needs to be so good that it gets you through the lengthy process it takes to make them. You have to be looking forward to the end result so much--that you'll do whatever it takes to get them. THAT...and do yourself a favor and make big cookies to use up dough quickly.

Today's recipe stems from my cookie craving the other day. I reached into the cabinet to make this favorite cookie and realized I did not have sufficient brown sugar. However--I know alllllll the best tricks. Watch and learn!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Stick (1/2 cup) of Crisco Shortening. (stick with me here: Some people really hate Crisco or think it's gross and old fashioned. I personally think that Crisco gives a cookie a good crunch that it wouldn't otherwise have. Also it's probably a little better for you than full fat butter.)
1 and a 1/4 cup tightly packed light brown sugar. (as you'll see in the picture below,  I didn't have enough. Thus, I substituted 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 cup plain white sugar with about tablespoons of molasses. Essentially--we're making our own shoddy brown sugar)
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 and 3/4 cup AP flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
A pinch
Chocolate Chips to your liking, Macadamia nuts to your liking.

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the peanut butter, Crisco, and sugar (molasses too if using white sugar). Then add the milk, vanilla, and egg. Beat just until fully combined. Overbeating will kind of kill the consistency of the cookie. Next add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Once again--just beat until combined. Finally, add in as many chocolate chips and macadamia nuts as you see fit. I added chocolate chips to macadamia nuts in a slight 2:1 ratio because I just don't like my cookies too nutty.

Next, drop batter in mounds on baking sheets with space for the cookies to spread  slightly. Honestly--don't be a baby. Everyone knows big cookies are better. Just make your cookies large!

Finally, bake them for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Then let them cool for at least 5 minutes.

Hope your cookies turn out as good as mine!

A thanks to the "Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookie" recipe from Crisco that I, no offense Crisco, have made a lot better.