6 Fire and Peanut Butter Cookies

Nate used to live in the outskirts of Houston. . . and one of our friends took this picture last night. . .

Last night, Nate's old street had to evacuate. Luckily, nothing has happened to the houses on that street, but I am in such prayer for our friends and his old neighbors. 

After Ike, half of my family went to stay with Nate because he had a generator and was prepared (typical! ;-). . . his whole street banded together to help. . . I would bake and make ICE cold sweet tea, Nate's house provided a place to cool down in, we gave a smaller generator to a neighbor who is a police officer so when he did come home (which wasn't often those two weeks) he would have a cool place to sleep, and we chopped down fallen trees, picked up limbs and leaves, and "rebuilt" the landscape of his neighborhood. . . and because of Ike, we met two families that we became so close to, they were not only invited to our wedding, but our rehearsal dinner, as well.

So it is very hard to sit in the heart of Houston and not race up there to help. Late last night, Nate asked me to bake cookies to take to the first responder . . . 

so I chose Peanut Butter Cookies.

{Please pray for rain.}

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 c Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

1 1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 c All Purpose Flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 stick Crisco All Vegetable Sticks

3 tbsp milk

1 egg

3/4 tsp baking soda 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork. Bakes one baking sheet at a time for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen cookies. 

Crisco