Peanut ButterJelly Cookie Sandwiches

These cookies turn the lunchbox classic into a dessert. Two soft, brown-sugar peanut butter cookies get fork-pressed with the signature crisscross pattern, baked until barely browned, then sandwiched around a teaspoon of grape jelly. Every bite delivers the full PB&J experience in one neat handheld package.

The dough leans on brown sugar instead of granulated, which gives the cookies a richer, almost butterscotch-edged flavor and keeps them tender for days. A relatively low ratio of peanut butter to butter (¼ cup peanut butter to ⅓ cup butter) is what allows the cookies to stay soft enough to bite cleanly through without crumbling apart at the first squeeze of jelly.

The crisscross fork pattern isn’t just for looks. Pressing the dough balls flat is what allows the cookies to bake through evenly in the 8 to 10 minutes the recipe calls for. Skipped flattening gives you raw centers and overcooked bottoms.

Pro Tips

• Cool the cookies completely before sandwiching. Warm cookies melt the jelly into a runny mess instead of a neat layer.
• Use a thicker jelly or jam, not a runny syrup. Grape jelly and seedless raspberry jam hold their shape best between the cookies.
• Press the fork into a small dish of sugar between cookies to prevent sticking and add a sparkly finish.
• Sandwich just before serving if possible. Cookies stored sandwiched soften from the jelly’s moisture; stored separate, they hold up for a week.

Variations

• Swap grape jelly for strawberry jam, apricot preserves, or marmalade for different flavor combinations.
• Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the dough for chocolate peanut butter cookies, then fill with raspberry jam.
• Drizzle the assembled sandwiches with melted dark chocolate for an over-the-top, almost candy-bar treatment.