Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

I love chunky peanut butter.  I guess it’s because I like being reminded that it came from peanuts, so I like biting into the actual peanut when eating it.  Even if a recipe (like this one) calls for creamy peanut butter, I ignore it.  The recipe is always better with the chunky version.

I like the appearance of a thumbprint cookie–I think it’s the mini-tart look of it, a cookie crust with jam filling, that I like.  I found this recipe in a 2007 issue of Cooking Light and had intended to make it in time for a Christmas party… in 2007.  Looks like I missed that.  I had been browsing through my recipe clippings recently, and remembered these.  The combination of peanut butter cookie and red raspberry preserves works well together as a cookie.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup chunky PB

¼ cup butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Oil

7 Tb seedless raspberry preserves

1 Tb lemon juice

Cream sugars and butter, add eggs and vanilla, add flour.  Rub oil on hands, shape into balls (2 ½ tsp).  Place balls 2 inches apart, press thumb into center of ball to make an indent.  Chill 1 hour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.  Warm preserves and lemon juice in microwave, stir until smooth.  Spoon ½ teaspoon of mixture into the center of each cookie.  Makes 3 dozen.

I think next time I’d put the preserves on before baking–that’s what’s normally done with thumbprint cookies, anyway, so I’m not sure why this recipe would be any different.  That might also help to keep the cookies from rising too much–I found that despite me pressing down in the center with my thumb before baking, the cookies rose enough during baking that there was hardly enough of an indent to put preserves into.  I really liked the “rub oil on hands” idea, as a way to avoid having to put extra flour in the dough or roll the balls in sugar (like usual for peanut butter cookies).  I’ve never thought of it before, but the next time I’m making chocolate cookies I’ll definitely try it, as chocolate dough is notorious for being too sticky and messy.  I loved this recipe, it was easy to make, and I will make this recipe again for sure.