I feel like it’s been forever since I last wrote about cookies.
Spring always makes me weird about baking cookies. I bake a ton over the holidays and then reach a point where the idea of making more feels exhausting. I still eat them, but I don’t always want to stand in the kitchen to bake. Sometimes I’ll buy cookies or use store-bought ones for quick fixes—like those cookie s’mores I made with premade cookies. It’s fine; it happens.
Like many people, I’m picky about the texture and flavor of cookies. Store-bought cookies can be fine, but if they taste exactly like the mass-produced versions, I’m not a fan. Chocolate chip is a classic favorite, but it’s also one that can disappoint when it’s not executed well. When I want a cookie, I want a truly good cookie—or several of them.
I almost always love a peanut butter cookie. They’re hard to mess up: sugar, peanut butter, butter, a little flour, and you’re usually left with something soft, dense, and satisfying. Peanut butter cookies have a special place in my heart.
A few years ago I made peanut butter and jelly cookies, but they were basically just peanut butter cookies with jelly on top or sandwiched inside. This version is different: the jam is actually swirled into the dough. I used my hands and a large spoon to press preserves into the peanut butter dough—sticky, messy, and completely worth it.
And I used grown-up jam. For me, that means fig preserves.
I lost interest in the classic peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich early on, though my brothers ate them for years. We always stuck to jarred grape (occasionally strawberry when I got my way). My husband is similarly loyal to grape. He won’t mix it with peanut butter, which left me free to experiment.
Dried figs became a favorite snack after a coworker introduced me to them years ago. Before that, my only experience with figs was fig newtons, which never impressed me. Once I discovered dried figs, I moved on to fig butter, fig jam, and everything fig. I became a little obsessed—binging on fig-flavored foods and falling in love with their concentrated sweetness and texture.
Some mornings, when I’m low on energy before a workout, I’ll eat a few figs or spread peanut butter on them. It’s a grown-up twist on my longtime fruit-and-peanut-butter snack and a perfect afternoon pick-me-up. These cookies are essentially that idea translated into cookie form—fig jam swirled into peanut butter cookie dough for a slightly fruity, richly nutty bite. They’re great any time, and sure, they’d make an interesting pre-workout snack too.
Peanut Butter + Fig Preserves Cookies
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cookies
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup fig preserves
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Melt the peanut butter and butter together and let cool. I typically microwave them in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Set aside to cool.
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Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, melted peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk, mixing until combined, then stir in vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring and using your hands if needed to bring the dough together. The dough may be slightly crumbly.
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Add the fig preserves to the dough and gently fold it in with your hands to create swirls. Once combined, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
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Roll the dough into balls slightly smaller than 1 inch. The dough will be sticky—damp hands help. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake 8–10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
I like it!