Peanut Butter Chocolate Thumbprints / Susans

These are an attempt at the thumbprints that they make at the SoCal chain, Bristol Farms.  They are definitely better from there, but these are pretty good too.  Very easy to make, and the Nutella does fine in the oven.  I've heard of "peanut butter and jelly" cookies that could be good too, made this same way- but I just love chocolate too much to ever try that.  I'll stay on the lookout for a good shortbread cookie recipe for making true "Susan's," but this hits the spot too. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Thumbprints

3/4 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. butter flavor Crisco (I use the sticks)
1 1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
3 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
Nutella

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat until well blended.  Add egg, beat until blended.  Combine dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet in whatever size you like, as long as it's consistent.  Last time I went for about 2 rounded tablespoons each.  So I drop them all, then roll them all into a bowl.  Then use your thumb to make a "thumbprint" in each cookie, and add a small (or big!) scoop of Nutella.  Then bake for about 8 minutes, but pull out before they look ready- if you like moist cookies like me.  Let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet but outside of the oven.  They taste much better once they are cooled off, and especially the next day, if they last that long.  Yum!