Description
These Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies are a delightful treat combining smooth peanut butter with a sweet jam center. With a buttery, tender cookie base and a burst of fruity jam, they are perfect for snack time or dessert. Simple to prepare and bake, these cookies offer a perfect balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- ½ cup seedless jam
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheet trays with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier. Set the trays aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all the butter is well blended for uniform texture.
- Add Peanut Butter: Add the smooth peanut butter to the creamed mixture and beat until fully combined, creating a smooth, creamy base.
- Incorporate Vanilla and Egg: Beat in the vanilla extract and the egg until the batter is smooth and well mixed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Slowly add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet ingredients, stirring gently to combine. Be careful not to overmix; stop when no flour streaks remain and the dough is thick.
- Shape Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to form dough balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Place them onto the prepared sheets spacing each about 1 ½ inches apart.
- Create Indents: Gently flatten each dough ball slightly with your palm. Then press a circular indent into the center of each cookie using your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon, pressing only halfway through the dough.
- Fill With Jam: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small hole with the seedless jam. Pipe about ½ teaspoon of jam into each cookie indent. Alternatively, spoon jam into centers carefully.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 14 minutes until the edges turn slightly browned, ensuring the cookies are set to hold the jam without falling apart.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving. This helps the cookies firm up.
Notes
- Any seedless jam flavor works well, such as raspberry, grape, blueberry, or strawberry.
- Do not overmix the dough as it will make the cookies tough instead of tender.
- Press the indent only halfway to avoid breaking through the cookie base.
- Using a piping bag for jam filling gives neater results but spooning is an easy alternative.
- Make sure to bake until the edges are browned to prevent cookies from falling apart.
