Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Cookies

Pb and jelly is a well known children's lunch favorite. This recipe I found uses those same flavors but not to make lunch, to make dessert. This would be fun with company, play dates with friends, or coffee & tea, or just keeping your kids busy on a hot arizona afternoon. I would also suggest that you make sure that no one is allergic to pb as this kind of allergy is becoming more common. There are many other tasty nut butters that would be good substitutes in this (sunflower, almond, ect). Safety first. I am a mom I have to say that.

My niece is having a great time at our house on vacation. Unfortunately there time is almost up here. Its been a fast and furious week. I would somewhat like to take credit for all of her fun adventure, but I have to acknowledge the amazing role of fun treats and desserts. Desserts like popsicles and these cookies are the top of the list.  Pb cookies are wonderful because they don't require as many ingredients as other kinds of cookies. Less ingredients the better, when you have 4 little hands, that all want to help. My son and niece had a grand time making these. I used the rest of the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. Some good ideas just come in pairs.... like eating two cookies after the kids go to bed one in each hand. Just kidding. Of course I would never do that.  Did I tell you pb cookies are my favorite kind of cookie? What is your favorite kind of cookie? Feel free to comment and leave links to your fav recipes in the comments below.

PB & Strawberry Jelly Cookies 

adapted from: Everyday April 2006
This recipe made 15 or 16 large cookies.
You probably could get 20-24 normal size cookies out of one batch. 

  

1/2 cup whole wheat white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably something natural

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp strawberry jelly for each cookie

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 Tbs milk, I used 1%

1. Preheat the oven 350

2. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, the milk, and 1/4 cup of pb to make the frosting. Whisk it for a couple minutes until there is no clumps.

3. Stir together all the wet ingredients with a spoon or a mixer.

4. Add in the dry ingredients

5. Using a small spoon make even sized cookie dough balls and put them on an ungreased baking sheet.

6. Use a tsp measuring spoon to create creators in the center of each cookie. Fill each cookie dough with jelly.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes depending the size of cookie you make.  Cookies should be golden in color. Cookies will be soft upon pulling them out of the oven. They will harden up after a few minutes of cooling on a cooling rack. For crisper cookies add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

8. Spread frosting over the top of each cookie or in lines around the edges to emphasize the sweet jelly.

9. If you like ice cream cookies, grab a couple pairs of leftover cookies, if there is such a thing, and put frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream in between them. Wrap them in plastic and freeze them at least for 3-4 hrs until firm.

Its almost like a peanut butter sandwich except you don't have to cut the crust off your bread.  Bookmark this for when those lunch bag, fall, school filled days begin.... or now if you want something fun and sweet. 

Enjoy this fun creative reminder of childhood 

From my kitchen to yours.