Peanut butter and jam thumbprint cookies

MAKES 24-28 INGREDIENTS

■ 50g salted peanuts, finely chopped, optional

■ 175g plain flour

■ 50g light brown

sugar

■ 1 tsp fine salt

■ 150g smooth peanut

butter

■ 2 eggs

■ Milk, if needed

■ 150g raspberry jam

1

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 4, and line a baking tin with baking paper (no sides). Finely chop the peanuts and spread evenly on a board, ready to roll the cookies in. 2

In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Once combined, add the peanut butter and eggs, and beat until combined and smooth.

If it feels a little dry and crumbly, add some milk

– 1 tablespoon at a time – until the dough is smooth enough to roll into balls without cracking. Different peanut butters have different liquid contents, which is why you may need to add this.

3

Using your hands, roll into 24-28 small, walnut-sized balls, then gently roll each through the chopped peanuts once to coat only the widest part of the balls. Place in the lined tin (you’ll need to bake them in two or three batches).

4

Push the end of a wooden spoon into the centre of each cookie until you just feel the base of the tin. Twist to widen the hole slightly, then remove the spoon, repeating the action on each cookie to create a “thumbprint indentation”. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.

5

Once chilled, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, rotating them halfway through.

6

They should be just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven, and use a spoon or piping bag to fill the holes in the cookies with raspberry jam. Return to the oven and bake for a final 5-6 minutes.