Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies are great for kids of all ages. I usually double the recipe when I make them. Using a cookie scoop and soda bottle cap to make the indentations results in uniform cookies, which makes a nice presentation. But you can improvise with other lids; just aim for something about the size of a quarter. Use any variety of jelly, but I do not recommend jelly with chunks of fruit, like strawberry. Attempting to move the cookies prior to cooling completely will cause them to break.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 132 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup seedless raspberry jam

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.

Step 2

Beat butter, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla together in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add egg to butter mixture and beat on medium speed until blended. Scrape side of bowl down again.

Step 3

Beat flour mixture into butter mixture on low speed until just blended. Scrape bowl and mix a few more seconds.

Step 4

Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls and arrange on a baking sheet. Cover baking sheet and refrigerate at least 4 hours (overnight is ideal).

Step 5

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange cookie balls atop paper.

Step 6

Bake cookies in the preheated oven until partially cooked, 11 minutes.

Step 7

Place raspberry jam in a bowl and stir until syrup consistency.

Step 8

Press a soda bottle cap into the center of each cookie until edges of cookies bulge and begin to crack, making an indentation. Fill each indentation with about 1 teaspoon jam.

Step 9

Bake cookies until edges are lightly browned, 7 minutes longer. Cool cookies completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.