Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Place 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl to use later for dipping.
Prepare the Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Add large eggs and vanilla extract. Spoon in the creamy peanut butter, mixing well.
In a small bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
Form and Bake Cookies
Using your hands, roll spoonfuls of dough into walnut sized balls and roll in the granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about an inch apart. (If using a cookie scoop, use one that is 1 oz or 1.3 oz.)
Make crisscross indention on each cookie with a fork. Or if you have a cookie stamp, you may use that for special designs.
Depending on how big your cookies are, bake for 10-14 minutes, until golden around the edges. Cool on wire racks. Makes 3-4 dozen.