If you love peanut butter sandwich cookies, you have to try these. Made with Jenkins Hell Fire Pepper Jelly, a spicy pepper jelly I brought home from Santa Monica, this recipe gives you cookies with a crisp and light shell, a creamy peanut butter filling and a lingering kick of sweet hot peppers.
But since I got this recipe from Jenkins, it’s only fair that I tell you a little bit more about it, right? And it has an interesting story. Founded by Hillary Danner (Gwyneth’s cousin) and her friend Maria Newman, the pepper jelly was inspired by the abundance of fruit trees growing on Hillary’s historic California property and the vegetables in her new garden. Made with a blend of seven fresh peppers, organic sugar, vinegar and pectin, it’s great paired with cheese, used as a marinade or glaze for meat, and addition to sandwiches, and most likely a very nice add-in for one of our family’s favorites, Texas Jalapeno Cranberry Bread. And since it’s hand crafted and comes with a cute little spoon, it would make a great gift.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Amie who won the free sample!
Can you think of another use? For a chance at a free jar of Jenkins Hell Fire Pepper Jelly? Leave a comment here anytime between today and Sunday at midnight and I’ll send one random commenter a jar. If you’re interested in buying some now, here’s the order page.
Now onto this excellent cookie recipe. The dough was easy to work with and loved how it baked up into crispy, light, sandwich cookies. The pepper jelly makes a truly unique addition, but you could fill these with anything, including Nutella and peanut butter, marshmallow cream, or chocolate ganache.
As mentioned, this recipe is adapted from Hell Fire’s Facebook page, but I did change it up a bit by adding vanilla, adding regular peanut butter to the inside of the sandwich cookie and skipping the part where you put a dab of Hell Fire on the outside of the cookie, and I cut the bake time to about 12-15 minutes (because that’s when the cookies were done).
- 1/2 cup regular or butter flavored shortening (I used butter flavored)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy okay)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
- Some Hell Fire Pepper Jelly
- Extra peanut butter for filling sandwiches
- Preheat the oven to 325F and have ready a large, ungreased baking sheet.
- With an electric mixer, beat the shortening, salt, baking soda and peanut butter together. Beat in both of the sugars and the vanilla. Beat in the egg.
- By hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, stir in the flour. Using a rounded ½ teaspoon measure, scoop up dough and shape into small balls. Arrange the small balls on the baking sheet spacing about 1 1 ½ cinches apart. Using a damp fork, press the balls down and make criss-crosses. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until edges are brown and cookies appear done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
- When cookies are completely cool, sandwich a little peanut butter and some Hell Fire Pepper Jelly between two cookies. Repeat until you’ve made about 45 or 50 little sandwiches.
Shanna says
October 21, 2011 at 1:24 pmBaked with brie in pastry
beth says
October 19, 2011 at 3:59 pmMake thumbprints using a typical southern cheddar cheese cookie recipe and fill with Hell Fire.
Alicia Keen says
October 18, 2011 at 9:19 pmDifferent! Would like to try it
Jamie says
October 18, 2011 at 7:33 pmI LOVE hot pepper jelly…now have another good excuse to use it! Thank you!
Ginny says
October 18, 2011 at 4:46 pmMy sister has a recipe for sweet and sour meatballs that uses sauerkraut and grape jelly. This might make a good substitute.
Michelle says
October 18, 2011 at 1:39 pmThe jelly would probably be good as a marinade or glaze for meats.
Julie Desaulniers says
October 18, 2011 at 8:56 amwith Cream Cheese & Crackers and/or veggies
Valerie says
October 18, 2011 at 8:14 amHow interesting! I’d love to try this on my own!
amie says
October 18, 2011 at 7:58 amI think it would be go great with a pork loin. Either coat the pork loin with it or use it as a sauce!
Becky says
October 18, 2011 at 7:23 amI’d drop a teaspoon or so into a corn bread muffin before baking.
Beth says
October 18, 2011 at 6:17 amIt would be great on brie!
Kathy says
October 18, 2011 at 5:25 amSounds like a pairing made in heaven!
Judy says
October 17, 2011 at 9:41 pmpepper jelly as a marinade on the Thanksgiving turkey for a lively holiday dinner!
Heidi F. says
October 17, 2011 at 8:35 pmMy first thought was serving it with cream cheese and crackers, but the pretzel dip sounds really good too!
domestic diva says
October 17, 2011 at 8:15 pmThis would be great as a [VERY] light glaze over veggies — or maybe in a peanut sauce.
Tracy says
October 17, 2011 at 6:30 pmMix with horseradish for a dip for New Orleans fried catfish.
Pam S says
October 17, 2011 at 6:21 pmI’d put it over cream cheese and serve with crackers.
Question: in the recipe you state to use a rounded 1/2 tsp for each cookie. Is that correct? It sounds like it would make a very small cookie.
Shunti brown says
October 17, 2011 at 6:01 pmJelly over some cream cheese
Jen @ Chocotuile says
October 17, 2011 at 5:57 pmThese cookies look delicious! I’d make chocolate truffles and swirl the jelly and peanut butter as the filling inside.
llynn says
October 17, 2011 at 5:40 pmi’d eat it with ice cream.
petra says
October 17, 2011 at 4:18 pmI’d spread the jelly on cornbread and serve it alongside a cheese and veggie omelet.
Shannon says
October 17, 2011 at 3:23 pmThose cookies look really good!
Maybe pepper jelly would be good on an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on hearty toast.
Juli says
October 17, 2011 at 3:12 pmI’d eat it with cream cheese on crackers.
Gloria says
October 17, 2011 at 3:11 pmI sometimes top my cheesecake pie with a cooked jam/jelly mixture…pepper jelly would add an interesting kick!
mellisa w says
October 17, 2011 at 3:00 pmCream cheese and Wheat Thins would be great. Thanks!
Patty says
October 17, 2011 at 1:51 pmI think I could use it with my breakfast toast. And of course it would make an awsome sause with the cocktail franks.
Magsie says
October 17, 2011 at 1:49 pmI would put it on a ham sandwich panini. Oh yum.
Karin Muserallo says
October 17, 2011 at 1:44 pmAnna, I think the Hell Fire Jelly would be great paired with some sweet grape jelly as a sauce for some little appetizer meatballs! Delicious! Makes my mouth water just thinking about them! 🙂
Lori H says
October 17, 2011 at 1:26 pmI;m thinking would be awesome on grilled pork chops!
Mary Lynn M. says
October 17, 2011 at 1:17 pmMy first thought was a glaze for chicken. So many choices.
Suzanne says
October 17, 2011 at 12:19 pmsimple appetizer- pour a jar of jelly over a block of cream cheese and serve will crackers
Kim says
October 17, 2011 at 11:53 amI can honestly never say I thought of peanut butter and peppers together…but your pictures look delicious!
Sue says
October 17, 2011 at 11:46 amHmmm? BBQ sauce immediately comes to mind. But maybe in a chocolate cookie like those Tex Mex Chocolate Cookies.
Martha T says
October 17, 2011 at 11:46 amI think this would be delicious with cream cheese and crackers … or cream cheese and a spoon!
Pat R says
October 17, 2011 at 11:37 amI could see me using this as a topping on a pork loin roast………maybe in the crock pot………….got my mouth watering just thinking of it.
Shaunna says
October 17, 2011 at 11:32 amAs a glaze over chicken. yum!
sheri says
October 17, 2011 at 11:28 amGreat over cream cheese with crackers!
Stephanie says
October 17, 2011 at 10:53 amI think it would be awesome dolloped over a tray of homemade nachos instead of salsa.
Louise says
October 17, 2011 at 10:39 amI forgot to add that I’ve made Ina Garten’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars with pepper jelly.
Louise says
October 17, 2011 at 10:30 amMulti-grain bread, cream cheese, and pepper jelly makes an awesome sandwich. I live close to James Weaver’s Meadow View Farm. He’s a Mennonite farmer know for his heirloom tomatoes, hundreds of varieties of chili peppers, and a big variety of pepper jellies. http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=331051 Gourmet Magazine had an article on him several years ago.
Kari says
October 17, 2011 at 10:02 amLooks like it would be great as a pretzel dip.
Fallon says
October 17, 2011 at 10:01 amGoat cheese and pepper jelly sandwiches!
Carole Resnick says
October 17, 2011 at 9:59 amPepper jellies are good in a number of appetizers
Martha in KS says
October 17, 2011 at 9:43 amI’m always looking for interesting jellies/chutney to serve as an appetizer over cream cheese.
Kara Dykstra says
October 17, 2011 at 8:54 amThese cookies sounds delicious! I bet the jelly would be good in a thumbprint cookie too. 🙂