Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

This is a delicious version of an old favorite of mine.  I came up with this yummy variation one day before a party for Lauryn's class at school.  These cookies ended up being an irresistible craving all throughout my pregnancy with Maxx.

You can make these cookies using any of your favorite recipes for peanut butter cookies and adding a thumb print of jelly before cooking.  When they are done baking and given a chance to cool the sweet jelly turns into a sticky gooey center.  I prefer using strawberry jelly, being a purest myself.  Feel free to use any type of fruit jelly you like. The fun in baking is in the experimenting.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanut butter (creamy)
• 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 TB vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• Strawberry Jelly

Directions

1. Heat oven to 370 °
2. In a large bowl cream together the Peanut Butter, shortening and brown sugar.  Mix in the Milk and Vanilla, beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat egg into mixture until just blended.
3. Combine the All-Purpose flour, salt and baking soda.  Add it to the creamed mixture at low-speed.  Mix until just blended.
4. Make 1 inch balls of dough. Flatten them in your hand, using your thumb to leave an indent in the top. Be sure not to crack the sides.
5. Place the cookies on the cookie sheet.  Using a spoon drop a spoonful of Jelly onto the center of the indent.
6. Bake at 370° for 10 to 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.  Cool for 2 min on the baking sheet.  Remove cookies to foil surface to cool completely.