Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies: 2 Ways!

November 19, 2010

It’s pretty hard to practice self restraint around something like this.

I am quite hypocritical, posting my love for peanut butter and jelly baked goods when I don’t really love peanut butter and jelly itself. It’s definitely delicious, but if I’m having a sandwich, I usually want it to be stuffed with cheese and bacon. But I do enjoy a good piece of toast slathered with peanut butter and jelly. I say that counts.

This process was quick and painless. I actually found the recipe scribbled on an index card in an old recipe book of my Mother Lovett’s. I had never tried it before, and you know I love to try different recipes. So into the kitchen I roamed with my big bag of sugar and tub of peanut butter. I may have also been carrying a spoon. A large, peanut butter-covered spoon.

Oh well.

The finished product barely made it from the oven to the table. A few fell and tripped right into my mouth. Silly cookies.
Some were salvaged. Good thing, too. I had big plans for these jems. Plans that included stuffing and icing the peanut butter rounds with jewel-colored jelly.

To fill and frost, I used some of my favorite preserves.

The jam flavors flying through my head at this moment were endless. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t try it with a spoonful of red haven peach preserves. I really wanted to slather on some honeycrisp apple conserve. And how fabulous would it be with fig jam? I love fig jam. I love figs. Oh… how I love them. Why must I live on the East coast where figs barely exist?
I’m just making that up. I’m sure you can find figs somewhere. And by somewhere, I mean other than my grocery store for $8.00 a pint.

I’m not sure how I managed this, but I was able to save a few cookies for Mr. How Sweet. Many days the treats have disappeared by the time he returns home. He was a happy camper.
In fact, he declared these the “best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever made.” I don’t put much stock in that, considering the guy can’t remember what he ate for lunch yesterday. But I did pipe up and agree. These were really delicious. The cookie was a bit crispy and crunchy on the outside, but still chewy on the inside. In other words… perfection.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

makes about 24 cookies

2 cups peanut butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream peanut butter and sugar together until thoroughly mixed. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Add salt and baking soda, then add milk. Roll dough into balls and place on a baking sheet.

For thumbprints: Bake cookies at 350 for 8 minutes, remove pan and press a finger right now in the middle of the cookie to create a well. Bake for 2 more minutes. Let cool completely, then spoon a teaspoon of jam or jelly into the cookie.

For sandwich cookies: After rolling dough into balls, press dough to flatten. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Spread a tablespoon of jam or jelly on the flattest side of one cookie, and top it with another cookie.

Devour!