Annette Funicello`s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c Unsifted flour

1 c Sugar

1/2 ts Baking soda

1/4 ts Salt

1/2 c Corn oil margarine, softened

-(1 stick) 1/2 c Skippy creamy or super chunk

-peanut butter (or Trader Joe`s Almond Butter) 2 Eggs

1 tb Water

1 t Vanilla

6 oz Semisweet chocolate chips,

-optional (1 cup)

In small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl with mixer at low speed beat together margarine, peanut butter, eggs, water, and vanilla just until blended. Add flour mixture, beat until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes. Optional: stir chocolate pieces into batter. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with floured bottom of glass. Bake in 375 F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 2-3 dozen. Peanut Butter Oat Cookies: decrease flour to 1 cup, add 1 cup quick oats. (Special thanks to Skippy Peanut Butter.) [The Great American Peanut Butter Book, by Larry & Honey Zisman, pg 18; St. Martin`s Press, New York, 1985.]

[I made these last night to pack for my trip to Reno. Whatever you do, don`t use creamy peanut butter! With just 1/2 cup nut butter mixed with 2 cups flour, the nut taste gets kind of lost. I used almond butter; we also used Cantbelieveitsnotbutter for the margarine. Don`t round those Tbspfulls too high, as these cookies wind up a bit on the large size. I also forgot about flattening them out; oh well... What I have are chocolate chip cookies (mini-chips), with a faint almond flavor.]