PB & J Cookies

Who doesn't love a good old peanut butter & jelly sandwich? It's smooth and creamy, it's versatile, and it reminds everyone of their childhood. As I wad perusing my newest food blog obsession, I stumbled across these "grown-up" pb & j cookies made with fig preserves. Last week was a crazy week to say the least, with getting back to a normal schedule after traveling to the east coast, and then preparing and attending a bachelorette party for an old college girlfriend of mine, but somehow I made the time to make these little morsels. Worth. Every. Bite.

Peanut Butter & Fig Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 6 tbsp. peanut butter (I used homemade crunchy pb, but feel free to use your favorite!)
• 1 cup loosely packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup fig preserves

Melt the peanut butter and butter together in a pan, then set aside and let it cool.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in eggs, mixing until combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Use a large spoon, gradually adding in the dry mixture to the wet. Stir well, and even use your hands if you feel inclined to get a little messy! Keep mixing until it comes together, though it may be a bit crumbly. 

Now add in the fig preserves and fold it into the dough with your hands. Once combined, stick the dough in the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes.  **If the dough is not cold enough, they will flatten completely in the oven while cooking, and create one massive cookie**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll the dough into balls that are about 1-inch in size. The dough will be a bit sticky. It's all good! Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart and cook for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool on a wire rack before serving.