Everyone loves the classic peanut butter and jelly, but have you tried that flavor combination in a sandwich cookie?
Two weeks left in Whole30, let’s celebrate with cookies! No? Oh yea that’s right I still can’t eat those. Thankfully I know plenty of people who can eat them, and do so with gusto. I was told that these cookies are not only beautiful, but also delicious. I heard many “mMmMm”s upon the first bite, and then again when they went back for more. Success!
I baked these this past weekend when my friend Haley was in town. She and I used to spend a lot of time brain storming recipe ideas or just flavor combinations so it was fun to play in the kitchen with her again. Granted, these cookies are not exactly novel with their flavor pairing but it had been a long time since I had made linzer cookies and it is novel to make peanut butter linzer cookies. And I got to use my pink pearl dust to make them look all fancy for Valentine’s Day!
Originally I was going to make heart shaped thumbprint cookies, squishing the dough with my thumb in two directions to result in a heart, which would subsequently be filled with jam or jelly. But after realizing I had only ever made linzer cookies once before and I happen to own a heart shaped cut outs, the decision was pretty much made for me. I have several different cut outs for linzer cookies and yet somehow this is only the second batch ever. Clearly I need to work on that. 2017 the year of the linzer!
Two years ago: Orange Pecan-Crusted Chicken
Three years ago: Cream Cheese and Bell Pepper Stuffed Chicken
Five years ago: Buttermilk Pecan Waffles
Six years ago: Spaghetti with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY LINZER COOKIES
Makes about 2 dozen
Ingredients:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
x oz. container red jelly or jam
Powdered sugar or Wilton pink pearl dust
Directions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup until smooth. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Slowly beat in 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Turn off the mixer, add the remaining flour, and stir in with a large spoon or spatula until fully combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll out each ball of cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick. Place the wax-paper lined cookie dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 45 minutes, or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the top piece of waxed paper. Dip the cookie cutters in flour and cut the dough into shapes. Use small cutters to cut a design out of the center of half the cookies. Place the cookies 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Reroll scraps and cut out more shapes.
- Bake for 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Spread the solid cookies with 3/4 teaspoon of jelly. Place a cutout cookie on top of each filled cookie. Lightly dust the cookies with powdered sugar (or paint with edible pearl dust).
Source: Adapted from Tastes of Lizzy T’s and my Linzer Cookies with Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Filling.
