Welcome to week 6 of our gluten-free holiday dessert recipe share. There is nothing like the classic combination of peanut butter and jam. It just goes together. It is definitely kicked up a notch when you take that classic combination and turn it into a gluten-free peanut butter and jam shortbread thumbprint cookie. So much goodness happening at one time.
I love thumbprint cookies, and they are the perfect cookie for a twist on peanut and jam. If you prefer your thumbprint cookies without the peanut butter, you could always use our gluten-free traditional shortbread recipe as the base, but follow the directions for forming the cookies into thumbprints from this recipe.
You can also use this cookie dough to make these cookies into cutouts or to make traditional peanut butter cookies (you know the ones with the fork indent in a crisscross pattern). It’s a versatile and delicious cookie dough.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Jam Shortbread Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 C butter (softened)
- 2/3 c peanut butter (smooth or chunky)*
- 2/3 c light brown sugar (packed tightly)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour
- 1/2 cups cornstarch
- 1/4 cups icing sugar
- Grape Jam (for filling the cookie indents)**
*I used creamy peanut butter in this recipe but you can also use chunky. If you use chunky peanut butter, it gives the cookies more texture. However, you’ll have to roll the cookies out a little more if you use chunky peanut butter as the peanuts can crack the cookie as they bake.
**Feel free to use your favourite jam. I like them with grape jam, but if you prefer strawberry or raspberry jam, then use that. The red berry jams tends to make them look a little more holiday'ish.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Whisk together the flour and cornstarch in a bowl. This aerates the flour and removes any lumps.
- In another larger bowl mix together the butter, peanut butter, icing sugar and brown sugar, using an electric mixer. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is very smooth.
- Next, add the vanilla to the peanut butter mixture, and beat to combine.
- With your electric mixture on a low setting, slowly add in the flour, a quarter at a time.
- Once all the flour is in the bowl, mix at a higher speed to completely combine your flour.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your workbench/countertop.
- Turn your dough out onto the plastic wrap and lightly knead the dough into a ball.
- Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the dough, and with your hand lightly press it into a disk.
- Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Take about 1-1.5 tbs of dough in your hand and form into a smooth ball, without any open seams or cracks (seams will open up in the oven and you want to reduce that risk.)
- Place balls of dough on the lined cookie sheet leave about an inch to an inch and a half of space between the cookies, as they will spread slightly.
- Continue to shape all of the remaining dough.
- Once all your dough balls are formed, use your knuckle or a small coffee spoon to press in, to make an indent in the center of the ball.
- Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are set, and the bottom is slightly browned. If cookies aren’t set, return them back into the oven, for a few minutes, and continue to check on them, until they are firmer.
Tip: The timing will change with the size of the cookie. If you want smaller cookies check them sooner, as they will cook faster.
Tip: If the indent in your cookie has puffed up, while they are still hot, gently press a small coffee spoon in the center, of the cookie to form more of an indent, in the middle of the cookie. More room for jam!
- Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely. If you have a wire cooling rack, place cookies on the rack to cool.
- Place cooled cookies into an airtight Tupperware container separating layers with wax paper, so that the cookies are not on top of each other.
- You store the cookies empty and only fill them with jam when serving.
- When serving, place about a 1/2 tsp of your favourite jam in the indent in the cookie. And enjoy.
These gluten-free peanut butter and jam shortbread thumbprint cookies are so good you’ll be making them year-round.
Enjoy making these cookies, serving them, and snacking on them!
Ingredients
*I used creamy peanut butter in this recipe but you can also use chunky. If you use chunky peanut butter, it gives the cookies more texture. However, you’ll have to roll the cookies out a little more if you use chunky peanut butter as the peanuts can crack the cookie as they bake.
**Feel free to use your favourite jam. I like them with grape jam, but if you prefer strawberry or raspberry jam, then use that. The berry jams does tend to make them look a little more holiday'ish.
INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS