Not your typical PB&J

I have always liked peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches.  When I travel, they are my go-to carry-on meals because they're easy to make, easy to stuff into my purse and aren't perishable.  I remember one trip to Italy with my sister, her then-boyfriend-now-husband, and another friend of ours, we got in late to our lodging and all the restaurants were closed.  I pulled out my loaf of bread and peanut butter and jam jars and just like that, we had dinner!  Ahhh, the memories...

Anyway, I decided to make a PB&J with a twist.  So go ahead and let these little gems rekindle your love of PB&J (VegNews Bucket List #49).

1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy)
8 tbsp (1 stick) Earth Balance butter, room temperature
1/2 cup succanat sugar or vegan brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup unbleached flour


Preheat oven to 350. 


Cream peanut butter and sugar together in large mixing bowl.  Add sugar.  Once combined, add vanilla and salt and mix.  Add flour in 2-3 batches and mix until crumbly (the last bit of flour, you may want to use your hands instead of an electric mixer).


Roll approximately 1 tbsp of dough into ball.  Press center of dough to form a well.  You may have to pinch and round the sides of the cookie if it cracks.  Place about 1/2 tsp of your favorite jam in the center of the cookies.

Bake for 12-13 min.  Cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack with foil sheet placed on to (so the cookie doesn't fall through the slots).  Be careful because the cookie is rather on the fragile side.

Cool completely then enjoy with a tall glass of milk and remember all the schoolyard lunches mom used to make....