How To Turn Your Classic PB&J Into A Rich Skillet Cookie

If you're a fan of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, consider transforming the lunchtime classic into a dessert by spreading your favorite jam or jelly between two cookies. Or, if you want to step it up a notch, bake yourself a PB&J skillet cookie.

Cookie lovers who have yet to make a skillet cookie are missing out on a delicious and convenient treat. Far more than the sum of its parts, a skillet cookie has what everyone wants in the dessert: Crisp edges and a warm, chewy center. And, the treat utilizes one skillet for a large bake while regular cookies require knobs of dough and multiple cookie sheets, making it not only a simpler task but easier to clean up.

As you can turn almost any cookie into a skillet cookie, whether it's chocolate crinkles or oatmeal raisin, why not try the treatment on your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe and see what happens? Just make sure there's a pitcher of cold milk nearby. You're gonna need it.

Turning a batch of peanut butter cookie dough into a skillet cookie is as simple as gathering your dough, dumping it onto a large, greased skillet, and baking it for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Before popping it in the oven, though, remember to create those classic indented ridges on the top of the cookie. You can do this by using either a large fork or a spatula. These ridges will help catch the jelly or jam once it's applied. 

You don't need to get fancy with the jam or jelly — a little goes a long way. The jelly or jam should be warm when applied so it's easier to handle. You can take a standard spoon worth and drizzle a nice pattern over the surface of the skillet cookie while it cools. Or, if you want to be really bold, take a tablespoon or two worth of your sweet spread and smear it all over the top of the cookie, almost like a glaze. You could pair this cookie with fruit preserves like strawberry or raspberry, but the best, by far, is the classic Concord grape jelly. Nothing matches the sweet-to-savory combination of peanut butter and grape jelly.  

Your peanut butter and jelly skillet cookie will make a great alternative to the classic birthday cake and, providing those in attendance don't have a peanut allergy, one that will undoubtedly bring back some childhood nostalgia.