Description
These Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies combine the classic flavors of creamy peanut butter and sweet seedless jam in a soft, chewy cookie. Featuring a slightly thicker texture and a luscious dollop of jam on top, these cookies are perfect for a nostalgic treat or a fun twist on traditional peanut butter cookies. With easy-to-follow steps and simple ingredients, this recipe yields about 28 delightful cookies that are great for sharing or enjoying with a cold glass of milk.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping and Garnish
- 1/2 cup seedless jam (plus more for topping baked cookies)
- Melted peanut butter (to garnish)
- Chopped peanuts (to garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add Sugars: Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar to the butter. Beat well until the mixture is fluffy and smooth without any butter chunks.
- Incorporate Peanut Butter: Mix in 1 cup creamy peanut butter until well combined. You can opt for crunchy peanut butter if preferred.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the wet ingredients.
- Combine Dough: Turn the mixer on low to blend the dry ingredients into the dough. Stop mixing as soon as flour streaks disappear to avoid tough cookies. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Form Dough Balls: Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls using a cookie scoop for uniform size.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to account for spreading.
- Flatten with Fork: Dip a fork in sugar or flour to prevent sticking and press the dough balls down to about 1/2 inch thickness, creating a fork pattern by pressing twice perpendicular directions.
- Add Jam Dollop: Stir 1/2 cup seedless jam until smooth and use a teaspoon to place about 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each cookie. Be careful to keep the jam from touching the edges to prevent gummy spread.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes until the edges are just slightly browned and set.
- Cool on Pan: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes to set before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Garnish (Optional): For presentation, add additional stirred jam on top, drizzle melted peanut butter, and sprinkle chopped peanuts over the cooled cookies.
- Store: Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze Dough (Optional): Shape and flatten dough balls, then freeze on a tray before transferring to a ziplock bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-3 minutes to baking time, optionally adding jam before freezing after flash freezing on a tray.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies; stop mixing when flour streaks disappear.
- Use seedless jam for best texture and to prevent seeds from interfering with cookie topping.
- If using crunchy peanut butter, expect a slightly different texture but still delicious results.
- Jam should stay centered to avoid gummy spreading on the pan.
- Allow cookies to cool partially on the pan before moving to prevent breakage.
- These cookies are best enjoyed warm with a glass of milk.
- Dough can be frozen for convenience; follow freezing method to bake directly from frozen.
