DELUXE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare sheets of foil for cookies to cool on.
• 2. Combine peanut butter, shortening, sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add egg and beat just until blended (do not over beat, it makes cookies tough).
• 3. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Sift, or if you do not own a sifter, just whisk it really well, until you are sure it is well integrated.
• 4. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until well blended. Place round balls (about 2-2 1/2" in diameter for big cookies onto an un-geased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Try to make the balls uniform in size. Flatten with the tines of a fork, going vertical and crossing over horizontally (trademark of peanut butter cookies). Flatten each cookie to about 3/8" thick. Bake for 10-13 minutes until barely set and edges just almost brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on sheets for about 2 minutes. Remove to foil sheets to continue cooling (cookies will continue to cook a little after being removed from the oven, on the cookie sheets and on the foil.
• 5. Frosting Filling: 1/2 cup butter, a little softened, but not a lot 2 3/4 cups powdered sugar 3/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey's) 1/2 cup evaporated milk (not condensed) pinch of salt
• 6. For Frosting: Beat butter until smooth. Whisk together thoroughly the baking cocoa, and salt with the powdered sugar. Add the cocoa mixture and beat, adding some milk alternately. End with dry mixture. Add a very little more milk if desired to preferred consistency. A little bit thick is best for sandwich cookies, to prevent dripping and oozing.
• 7. Make sandwich cookies, by frosting one cookie generously, but about 1/4 an inch from the edge all around. Place a similar sized cookie on top and press gently. Voila!