SANDRA’S FESTIVE PB&J THUMBPRINT COOKIES

A very festive and happy day

was spent creating and baking

these lovely cookies...

Yields: Appx. 3 Doz.

Prep: 25 Mins.

Bake: 10 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup creamy peanut butter

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

-- Your favorite jam or jelly

(I used Sandra’s Homemade Strawberry-Rhubarb-Banana Jam dyed red and green using food coloring)

--Granulated sugar, for dusting bottom of potato masher (or fork) to flatten cookies

-- Red and green sugar crystals

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

Using a hand mixer, beat together sugars, peanut butter, butter, egg, and vanilla extract in medium bowl.

Place flour, baking soda and powder, and salt in a sieve, then sift over wet ingredients in bowl. 

Using a spoon, stir in dry ingredients, just until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Shape dough into 1-¼” balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Flatten using a potato masher (or fork) dipped in sugar.

Make an indent in center of cookies using the end of rounded utensil (or your thumb). 

Sprinkle half of the cookies with red sugar crystals, and the other half with green.

Bake 10 minutes, just until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet.

Move cookies to cool completely on wire rack. 

Once fully cooled, fill center thumbprint of cookies with jam or jelly.

Enjoy!