Looking for a cooking project to do with the kids? Even a very small child can help make these wonderful, crumbly peanut butter cookies. Cooking teaches math skills and how to measure. But children of all ages enjoy rolling the dough into balls, and making the traditional crosshatch design on the tops of these cookies with a fork.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: About 60 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In large mixer bowl, beat butter or margarine until soft.
3. Beat in sugars gradually until creamy.
4. Add egg, peanut butter, and vanilla and beat well.
5. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just combined.
6. Preheat oven to 375°
7. Roll dough into small balls. Place on cookie sheets lined with baking paper. Press cookies flat with fork, in two directions, to make the classic crosshatch design.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown.
9. Cool on racks.

Note: If you like chewier cookies, bake at 350° F, until just set, around 10-12 minutes.