Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Cookies
These Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Cookies are a delicious treat reminiscent of their namesake sandwich. Crisp and tender peanut butter sugar cookie dough envelops a layer of jelly and crunchy peanuts, all swirled up into a beautiful and tasty bite. Though the swirl version requires chilling, you can adapt this recipe into a thumbprint cookie recipe if you want faster results.
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PB and J, a child’s delight
Whether or not you grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it’s hard to deny the long-lasting hold they have on the youth of America. Sticky, sweet, easy for grown-ups and kids alike to make, and very budget-friendly, this sandwich is a staple when I think about children. In a year where children have been forced to stay home, distant from their friends, I thought it would be nice to develop a recipe that would bring a sweet, whimsical touch to an old, comforting favorite. I may not be a parent, but as an aunt and a caretaker to many children in New York City, I felt compelled to create something sweet with them in mind.
Triple-tested, the recipe below is deliciously crisp on the outside, with a sticky sweet and crunchy swirl made of caramelized grape jelly and coarsely-chopped peanuts. Use another flavor of jelly if grape isn’t your speed, but make sure to use jelly or jam rather than preserves, as the large, uneven chunks of fruit in the latter would make the dough impossible to roll up evenly.
How to swirl the dough
How do you create that gorgeous jelly swirl? First, it’s easiest to start off with a roughly rectangular piece of dough. After mixing the dough, I like to place it on a sheet of parchment paper large enough to wrap the dough like a present. I use a bench scraper to lightly tap and push the edges to make a rectangle, patting the dough on top to make it roughly even in thickness. Then, I pull the parchment paper up and over the dough to cover, and place it in a sealable bag or container in the fridge to chill. By chilling the dough in a rectangle instead of in a circular mass, it will be much easier to roll the shape we want when it comes to place the filling.
The step of chilling also helps the flour fully hydrate, making a more pliable dough that’s easier to work with down the line. A minimum of 2 hours of chilling is recommended, but I found in my testing that an overnight chill yields the best results for flavor and texture.
To get the filling all the way to the middle but not leaking out, follow the placement guide pictured below. Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle (about 15 inches long by 10 inches high) and spread the jelly in a thin layer, leaving a roughly 1 inch border on all sides except the long side close to you. This 3-sided border will allow the jelly to spread a bit further upon rolling without leaking, while getting jelly right into the center of the cookie.
You can see below I took the jelly a bit closer to the edge on the right side of the dough—perfection isn’t necessary! Just be sure to leave some space.
Next, sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the jelly, again avoiding the three sides making up the border but covering the bottom long edge.
Now comes the trickiest part! Here are three tips to keep in mind while rolling up the dough:
Make sure the dough is not totally cold and is pliable. It should be able to bend without cracking. If your dough is still very cold, allow it to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes and check for pliability again. Conversely, if the dough is too warm and is sticking to the parchment paper, slide the whole thing onto a sheet tray and chill for 10-15 minutes until the dough holds together.
The parchment paper is your friend here. Lift the parchment paper straight up and gently fold the long edge closest to you (the one with the jelly and nuts) over itself to begin the swirl, gently pressing with your fingers to encourage a tight swirl. Continue to lift the parchment paper up to encourage the dough to roll on itself evenly.
Finish rolling the dough and gently nudge it so that the seam is on the bottom. Allow the dough to rest for a minute on its seam, which will help create a seal, then wrap the entire cylinder in parchment paper before chilling. It may turn more oblong than round, but that can be modified later.
Notice below how I have a few small cracks on the surface of the dough, which is normal, but nothing so large that the jelly leaks through.
Freeze, slice, bake!
After rolling up your log of dough and jelly, putting it in the freezer for 2-3 hours will help further seal and solidify everything so that you can create clean slices that don’t leak when baked. After freezing, you can use your hands to gently squeeze the log into a more cylindrical shape if it’s flattened too much for your liking.
Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to slice the log into 25 cookies, 1/4 inch thick. I like to start by trimming off the ends (you can bake and eat these as a chef’s snack!) so that each cookie slice is clean.
When baked on parchment paper, the jelly bubbles and caramelizes around the peanuts, but doesn’t leak or stick to the baking tray. I like to bake these to a deep golden brown, which ensures that they are crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. If you prefer a softer cookie, feel free to remove them from the oven as soon as they are set, lightly browned, and the jelly is bubbling all the way through.
For an easier version…
If all this rolling, swirling, and chilling is too much for you, make the dough up to step 3 below, and then follow the instructions in steps 4 and 5 for these Hazelnut and Spice Jam Thumbprint Cookies to make Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies. Check the cookies after 15 minutes for doneness, but know they might take longer to become golden brown. Instead of dusting the finished cookies with powdered sugar, you can add a few chopped peanuts to each jam center prior to baking, or press a whole roasted peanut in post-bake while the cookies are still warm.
No matter how you slice it, these cookies make a great afternoon snack for kids and adults alike!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (75 grams) natural, unsweetened peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 (57 grams) large egg
- 2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 grams) kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (130 grams) grape jelly, or other jelly or jam (not preserves)
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine peanut butter, butter, and both sugars. Cream on medium speed until lightened in color and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and mix on medium speed for an additional minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add to butter mixture and mix on low speed until a stiff dough forms. Dump dough out onto a large sheet of parchment paper, and if dry bits remain, incorporate by hand until you have a smooth dough.
- Press the dough into a rectangular shape about 1 inch thick, using a bench scraper to flatten edges. Wrap the edges of the parchment paper around dough, then place dough in a sealable bag or container and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove the dough from refrigerator and allow to soften at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Using a piece of parchment paper underneath, roll dough into 10 inch x 15 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread jelly evenly in a thin layer over dough, leaving a 1 inch border on both short sides and one long side. Sprinkle peanuts evenly over jelly.
- Lift the edge of the parchment paper closest to the long edge of the dough with jelly up and over itself to begin the swirl. Continue lifting the parchment vertically and using your other hand to guide the dough into a swirl, finishing with the seam flat down on the parchment. Allow the log to rest for 1-2 minutes to help the seam seal, then use the same sheet of parchment to wrap the dough.
- Place the wrapped log on a sheet tray and freeze for 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Slice off the ends of the dough to make a clean edge, then slice dough into 25 cookies 1/4 inch thick. Place slices 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and jelly is bubbling throughout. A shorter baking time will result in a softer cookie, where as a longer baking time will result in a crispier cookie with a tender center.
- Allow cookies to cool on tray for 5 minutes, then use a thin spatula to lift cookies onto a cooling rack.
Notes:
Cookies will keep in an airtight jar for up to 5 days, but are crispiest the day they are baked. The jam will soften the cookies over time.
To make as a thumbprint cookie, roll 1 tablespoon-sized portions of dough into a ball, then gently press your thumb into the cookie to create a divett. Add a teaspoon of jam to the center, then bake for 15-20 minutes, until cookies are golden brown and set.
Calories
143.08Fat (grams)
6.77Sat. Fat (grams)
2.81Carbs (grams)
18.74Fiber (grams)
0.81Net carbs
17.93Sugar (grams)
8.99Protein (grams)
2.71Sodium (milligrams)
95.37Cholesterol (grams)
17.20