Recipe: Peanut Butter Shortbread Rounds, Jamwiches, and Chocolate Variations

PEANUT BUTTER SHORTBREAD ROUNDS

"These are very tender, intensely peanutty cookies - shortbread is a great vehicle for peanut flavor. The secret to their success is in using natural peanut butter, which has no added oil, sugar or salt. The sugar in regular peanut butter would throw the balance of this recipe off. Natural peanut butter is now available in supermarkets, and you'll also find it in any health food store."

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raspberry jam

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed 1 minute. Gradually add the sugars, beating until well blended, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Add the peanut butter, salt and vanilla extract and mix at medium-low speed until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

At low speed, add the flour and mix just until blended.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface; divide the dough in half, and shape into two disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours (or up to 3 days).

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place one of the chilled disks on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible from the dough. Arrange on one of the prepared baking sheets, spacking them 3/4-inch apart. Gather up the scraps, rewrap them, and chill 15 minutes before rerolling and cutting out more cookies.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 24 to 28 minutes, until they are just firm but not browned. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them carefully to a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and baking procedure with the remaining dough.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

VARIATIONS:

PEANUT BUTTER JAMWICHES:
Prepare the dough as above, but roll it out slightly thinner, to 3/16-inch, and use a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Reduce the baking time to 18 to 20 minutes, and cool as directed. Spread the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies with 1 teaspoon raspberry jam each (total amount of jam is about 3/4 cup). Top with the remaining cookies, forming sandwiches. Makes about 35 sandwich cookies.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SHORTBREAD ROUNDS:
Prepare the dough as above, but reduce the flour to 1 2/3 cups and add 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted, with the flour. Makes about 40 cookies.

Makes about 40 cookies
Source: The Good Cookie by Tish Boyle