Peanut Butter Cookies with Jam

March 31, 2019

Someone told me this week that spring is a myth. I don't want to believe them but I do know what they mean. We have reached the end of March without much green-ness in view, but there is the feeling that spring is just around the corner if we can just hold on a little longer.

This week I've surrounded myself with fresh cut flowers, pastels, and jammy peanut butter-chocolate cookies. These cookies are BIG! While they don't specifically reflect spring, there is something about their shape that reminds me of a blooming flower. I made these cookies for the first time several years ago, and for some reason they were on my mind this week.

Not your typical peanut butter cookie, there is cocoa powder in the dough which adds a deeper flavor. The cookies maintain the same shattery exterior you usually get with peanut butter cookies since they get a quick roll in sugar before baking. I used blackberry and strawberry jam here but you could use any flavor you like with peanut butter. I am curious if anyone has an interesting jam combination they like with their peanut butter. Send me a note and share if you have a unique flavor combination!

Coming soon to Lilacs and Green Onions!

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I am also working on an editorial calendar to include themed posts. This was my original vision for this space but due to timing and wanting to share a few initial posts with you all, I paused this idea but I do intend to be more intentional around the stories I tell through food. I am grateful to everyone for stopping by and I look forward to continuing to learn and adjust. Feel free to send me an email with your ideas of what you would like to see in this space!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Jam

Servings: 10 cookies

Time: 60 minutes total with prep time

By Giada De Laurenentiis - Food Network

Halfway through the baking time I rotated the cookie sheets and found the jam had melted into the cookies. I added more jam at the halfway point so I recommend leaving the jam nearby and planning for slightly more than the recipe calls for. The cookies will look a little too soft at the end of the baking time. I got nervous when I had reached the maximum baking time receommended and the cookies still were not set. I added an additional seven minutes to the baking time and the bottoms of the cookies got a little darker than I had anticipated.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling dough

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg, at room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup jam (I used blackberry and strawberry)

Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sieve together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, and the light brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth. Beat approximately 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until blended. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated.

Put the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Form the dough into 1/4 cup rounds and roll in the sugar. Arrange five rounds of dough, evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using a 1/4 teaspoon, or the thin end of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of each round, 1/2 to 3/4-inch deep. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into each hole. Bake until the dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled, 11-14 minutes, switching the cookies between racks halfway through if needed. Cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.