Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (thumbprint cookies with jelly filling)

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY COOKIES

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/3 cup Florida light brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted roasted Florida peanuts, finely chopped
2/3 cup strawberry preserves or jam (about)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in the peanut butter, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt.

Form the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll them in peanuts and place about 2-inches apart on a large cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies for 5 minutes.

Using a small melon baller or your thumb (but be careful not to burn yourself), make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie so that it will flatten slightly. With the melon baller, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the preserves into each cookie; do not overfill.

Bake for about 15 minutes longer, until the cookies are golden and cracked. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. (The cookies can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container.)

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Source: The Florida Department of Agriculture