Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

I am super excited to have Sarah Pierce from Pastries in Progress as a guest blogger on The Budget Mom. If you don't know who she is, you are seriously missing out on something wonderful. This girl has some major baking skills! What I love about Sarah is her ability to create a recipe that anyone can enjoy. Not only did she make something that is completely affordable, she made something that is 100% kid friendly as well. One of the first things you notice on Sarah's blog is the crazy, mouth watering images. Check out these lemon bars! Pretty impressive huh? See below to explore what she wrote and made exclusively for The Budget Mom readers!

Peanut Butter & Jelly… a Childhood Classic! And also something that, unless you have a food allergy at your house, always seems to be on hand. What if I told you that you could use these simple, budget-friendly ingredients to create a sophisticated dessert that is easy to make and the kids will love? No, I’m not talking about tiny PB&J sandwiches – what fun is that? I’m talking about a new family favorite – Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies!

How cute are these?! They are easy enough for the kiddos to make (or at least to help make… my daughter LOVES to help me bake), but tasty and interesting enough for the adults, too. I used grape jelly in this recipe (who doesn’t love the classic peanut butter & grape jelly combo?), but you can use any flavor jelly you have in your refrigerator. We always seem to have apple and homemade elderberry jelly floating around our house.

Even the pickiest of eaters will love these cookies (we all know someone who lives off of PB&J sandwiches). The cookie is the perfect soft and crumbly texture, topped with a sweet, gooey layer of your favorite jelly and drizzled with some melted peanut butter. Wash them down with a glass of milk (make it chocolate, if you’re feeling really adventurous) and you’ve got a winning combination. My husband says they taste just like a PB&J sandwich… an upgraded, classy version of a PB&J sandwich!

Okay, time to stop drooling… What is your favorite PB&J snack? Comment Below! (I had a friend growing up who ate PB&J on a tortilla shell – Taco Tuesday PB&J style!)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies:
Cost Per Serving: $0
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Cookies:

• ½ cup Softened Butter
• 1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Egg
• 1 ¼ cup Flour
• ¾ tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Salt

Jelly:

• 1 Tbsp Water
• 1 Tbsp Flour or Cornstarch
• ¾ cup Jelly

Drizzle:

¼ cup peanut butter

Directions:

Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until well blended. The mixture will be fluffy. Beat in egg.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix into the creamed mixture. The texture will be somewhat crumbly.

4. Form the dough into walnut-sized balls and place onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

5. Using your thumb, press down on the center of the dough, forming a well. (See “My ‘Teachable Moments’- 1-3” for more tips)

6. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Jelly:

1. Whisk together the water and flour or cornstarch until smooth.

2. Add the jelly and the flour or cornstarch mixture to a small saucepan.

3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously. The mixture will start to smooth.

4. Bring to a boil (keep stirring).

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. (See “My ‘Teachable Moments’- 4” for more tips)

6. Fill the wells in the cookies with the jelly and allow to cool completely.

Drizzle:

1. Melt about ¼ cup of peanut butter in the microwave.
2. Using a knife or fork, drizzle the melted peanut butter over the cookies. (See “My ‘Teachable Moments’- 5” for more tips)

ENJOY!

Alterations:

If you have peanut allergies in your house (or if you just don’t like peanut butter), you can substitute the peanut butter with another type of nut butter. Almond Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies anyone?? Mmmmmmmm

Storage:

Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

My “Teachable Moments”:

1. Make sure the “thumbprints” are deep enough. The cookies puff up a little bit when they are baked, so a thumbprint that looks too deep before they are baked might be just right once they come out of the oven.
2. When you’re making the “thumbprint”, sometimes the dough around it will crack, leaving a hole for the jelly to escape through. Just push the edges of the dough together to get rid of the cracks and the jelly will stay put later.
3. I have heard of some people using a wine cork instead of their thumb to form the well. This technique will make the well the same size every time. I have never tried this, so if you decide to, let me know how you like it! I’d love to hear from you!
4. The jelly starts to set up again fairly quickly once it starts to cool. You want it to cool enough that you won’t burn yourself if you accidentally end up with it on your hand, but before it sets up too much. Keep an eye on it while it’s cooling to find that happy medium.
5. To drizzle or not to drizzle… that is the question. If you LOVE peanut butter, drizzle away! The drizzled peanut butter gives these cookies a touch more character. But beware – it smears. So, if you’re not going to eat them right away, it’s best to save the drizzle for later or leave it off completely.

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