The only thing I love more than a wedding is a cookie, so you can imagine my glee when my friends Meredith and Nate asked me to bake some cookies as a welcome gift for out of town guests flying in for their upcoming nuptials. I gave a lot (maybe too much?) thought into what type of cookie I would make. I wanted a crowd-pleaser, but a simple chocolate chip seemed too obvious. Visually appealing, but nothing too delicate since they would have to go in goodie bags. Such a quandary!

While I was mulling over all the different cookie candidates, I thought about how excited I was for the wedding. From the moment Meredith introduced me to Nate I thought they were so well suited for each other. They have a lot of similarities but are each entirely unique and compliment each other so well. They go together like macaroni and cheese, like eggs and bacon, like peanut butter and jelly…peanut butter and jelly! That’s it! The answer to my cookie dilemma was solved.

I decided to go with a thumbprint cookie because they are so darn cute (just like Nate and Meredith!) and I really enjoy eating them. I used a Martha Stewart recipe as a guide, and made a few tweaks such as replacing some of the butter with extra virgin coconut oil (I do this with almost all of my baking these days — adds a subtle coconut flavor and great texture) and used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. A few of the cookies were sent to the Quality Control Research Center (aka my tummy) to make sure they were just right, and by golly, were they ever.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and I have no doubt in my mind that just like peanut butter and jelly, Nate and Meredith will continue be a perfect pairing for many years to come. Congratulations!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

PB&J Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living
These cookies are a great opportunity to use up any almost-finished jars of jelly lurking in your fridge. I used strawberry, but raspberry or grape would also be delicious.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam (baker’s choice!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter, butter, and coconut oil 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 until combined.

Scoop tablespoons of dough, and form into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using your (clean!) thumb, make indentations in each ball of dough to form a well for the jam. Fill each indentation with jam, but be careful not to overfill since the cookies will puff up as they bake.

Bake until cookies are puffy and just barely starting to turn golden, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely. Makes around 3 dozen cookies.