My favorite holiday cookie hands down is the thumbprint cookie. It’s a delicious vanilla cookie, rolled in chopped nuts, and then filled with raspberry jam and baked to perfection.  This is a take on the holiday version only this one is a peanut butter and jelly cookie.  Or for us chocolate fans, a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate hazelnut filling.  Either way you make them, they’re delicious!

I thought I’d never tried the taste of Nutella, but it turns out it’s made by the same people who make my favorite candy, Ferrero Rocher. The flavor is amazing – smooth chocolate with a hint of Hazelnut.  I also had it the other day when I went to the Renton Farmer’s Market.  I purchased a buttery, flaky pastry that was stuffed with it.  Loved it!

The nice people at Nutella sent me a jar to try out and three to share with one of you. Here’s what I did with some of mine:

Peanut Butter & Jelly or Nutella Filled Cookies

Makes 24

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (Hodgson Mill Organic Naturally White Unbleached Flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (Kirkand Organic – Costco’s brand)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened (O Organics Butter)
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Light Brown Sugar)
1/3 cup granulated sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar)
1 large egg (O Organics)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Flavorganics Organic Pure Vanilla Extract)
1/2 cup raspberry jam (Cascadian Farms Raspberry Spread) and/or 1/2 cup  Nutella Hazelnut Spread

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together dry ingredients; set aside.   Beat peanut butter and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy.   Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix just until combined – don’t overmix once the dry ingredients are added.  Mix will be crumbly but forms a ball.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough (I use a 1″ cookie scoop), and form into balls.  With fingers, make an indentation in the middle, smoothing the edges as you go.

Bake approximately 15 minutes (until lightly browned).  Meanwhile, stir fruit spread until smooth.  Spoon jam into center of hot cookie, allow to cool.    For Nutella cookies, allow to cool completely first.

Enjoy within one week or freeze, in single layer until firm, and then in freezer bag.

ENTER TO WIN

Comment below with how you’d use the three jars of Nutella. Contest ends 6/10/10 at 11:59 pm PDST. Regular contest rules apply. Open to mailing addresses in the US only (sorry, no PO Boxes).

Want extra entries?

Do any or all of the extra entry assignments and post a comment for each additional entry.

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