Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Peanut butter and jelly are such a classic combination! Working from home, I have to say I have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch with some regularity! I bake a lot with peanut butter, and I have made a couple of peanut butter and jelly creations, such as thumbprint cookies and cookie cups. This was my first try in the traditional cookie form, and I was intrigued to make a cookie with a filling of frozen bits of peanut butter.

I didn’t change too much about these cookies, but the original recipe called for peanut butter chips for the dough and additional chips to top the cookies. I thought I had some, but I used them in another recipe, so they are missing here. I don’t really think you need them anyway. In order to make these stuffed cookies, the cookies end up being very large. You could try to make them smaller, but it is hard enough to shape the dough around the fillings as it is. I did halve the recipe and made 7 (really big) cookies.

These cookies are a bit fussy to get formed. Since the jelly is so liquid, it spread a little and it was about impossible to encase it fully. I was worried that the cookies would open up during baking, but they didn’t. They all cracked on the top in different ways, but that was fine. The original recipe said to bake the cookies for 12 minutes, but mine need a lot longer to bake, likely 20 minutes since the cookies are large. I do love peanut butter cookies, but these with the peanut butter and jelly filling are just the best. They are so tasty that I don’t mind that the cookies are enormous!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
1 cup + ¼ cup peanut butter, divided
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup jam or jelly

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

With the ¼ cup peanut butter, make 15 small dollops and place them on a parchment-covered plate. Freeze the peanut butter dollops while you make the dough.

In a mixer bowl, beat the 1 cup peanut butter and the butter on medium until combined. Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix again on medium until combined. Add the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix to combine. With the mixer running on low, add gradually add the flour and stir until the dough comes together.
    
Separate the dough into 15 mounds, each about 3 tablespoons. Make a well in each cookie and add a dollop of jelly and a frozen dollop of peanut butter. Form the dough around the peanut butter and jelly, sealing in the fillings as much as possible. Place on the prepared baking sheets. A+s these are large cookies, place a maximum of 8 cookies on each baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cookies are golden around the edges, the tops start to crack, and the cookies are set. If you bake both sheets at the same time, rotate the baking sheets half-way through the baking time. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Cookies and Cups