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It must be back to school time because my instagram feed is full of pictures of my friends’ kids holding up signs stating what year in school they’re going into.
Back in my day, my sister and I used to pack our own school lunches. They often consisted of PB&J sandwiches, an apple, and pretzels (in a brown paper bag, of course). Inevitably, my apple would crush my sandwich, flattening it to the point of making it look bruised and sad, resulting in my not wanting to eat it.
Eventually, I began buying my school lunch most days (long live turkey and gravy day).
This is all to say that, despite the crushed sandwich, I do love peanut butter and jelly. The combination is iconic and enduring. Satisfying and perfect. The sweetness of jelly (strawberry, please) with the saltiness of peanut butter (smooth, thanks), plus fluffy white bread (Japanese milk bread FTW), is something that, surprisingly, I often crave.
Enter peanut butter and jelly cookies.
The dough is made with smooth peanut butter (similar to the dough I use when I make pb kisses — you know, the cookies with the Hershey kiss on top) and it’s filled with crunchy peanut butter and a dollop of jelly (before you ask, yes, you can use whatever flavor jelly you like).
You portion the dough into balls and then flatten them out in the palm of your hand before adding the crunchy peanut butter and some jelly. Then, you wrap the dough around the pb and jelly, forming a big round cookie ball.
Sometimes, when you’re wrapping it up, the dough cracks and the jelly comes out a little and that might be my favorite part because when those ones bake, they come out of the oven looking the cutest.
Pro tip: freeze the crunchy peanut butter before adding it to the dough. This shit gets a little messy, but it’s a good time.
These cookies will satisfy your PB&J craving and, dare I say, are better than the sandwich.
Pack them in your kids school lunch. They probably won’t end up all smashed in the bottom of their brown bag.
Or, bake them after the kids leave for school and keep them all to yourself.
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY COOKIES RECIPE
Makes 10 cookies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS
10 tablespoons|162 grams crunchy peanut butter
1 ½ cups|253 grams all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup|265 grams creamy peanut butter
½ cup|140 grams granulated sugar
½ cup|120 grams light brown sugar
8 tablespoons|113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
10 teaspoons|85 grams strawberry jam or preserves
DIRECTIONS
Dollop the crunchy peanut butter into 10 equal-sized pieces (about 1 tablespoon each) on a sheet tray and freeze until ready to use.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the creamy peanut butter, sugars, and butter until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and make sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the next, then add the vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat until fully incorporated, then roll the dough into 10 equal-sized balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Working with one ball of dough at a time, flatten the ball into a 3-inch circle in the palm of your hand. Add in 1 teaspoon of the jam, then a dollop of the frozen peanut butter. Carefully seal the dough around the peanut butter and jam and roll it back into a ball. Some of the jelly may ooze out slightly, and that's ok! Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Divide the dough among 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake, turning once halfway through, until golden on top, 15 to 17 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.