Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies with Jam

What do you get when you combine heaven and sugar? I'm not 100% certain... but I'm pretty sure it's these Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies with Jam. Yes, I read that aloud and received loud boo's by the husband, kuya, and even the cat. Tough crowd here in the basement weekly creative session that we call Art Night; at least they help me select which pictures to use in these posts!

Cookie creeping. These Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies are my favorite cookies in the whole wide world. I fiend for them. They are forbidden from our kitchen and shall not grace our oven. It's for my own good... I fear that if I started baking them... I would never stop.

The keeper of the keys to this addiction lie with my friend/co-worker, MP. About two years back, she needed a peanut butter cookie recipe so I sent this one from White on Rice that happened to be on my "things-to-bake" list. When she brought them into work... well... you can already deduce the rest.

This year, the office decided to hold a bake sale as a fundraiser to support National Lee Denim Day. There were brownies, pies, cakes, and (you guessed it) Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies. MP was kind/evil enough to set some aside just for Mike and I to take home. After eating three, the ol' will power finally decided to make an apperance and I managed to snap a few shots before the rest met the same fate.

There are so many elements that make this cookie awesome. The texture is firm but melts in your mouth; the combination of peanut butter, dark cocoa, and brown sugar is in complete harmony. There's a ton of sugar in these bad boys yet it doesn't taste that way. I would equate it to sipping Jungle Juice at a college party- tastes great and you don't even realize how bad are the contents. The star of the show is glob of jelly in the middle because the touch of fruit creates a sophisticated PB&J effect. It doesn't even make the bottom of the cookie soggy! The recipe calls for blackberry jam (another Michele heart throb) but you can substitute with other flavors. I love eating the outside parameter of dough and savoring the middle as the last few bites. 

These cookies are great for any occasion and will win over the peanut butter fans; kids will love them and adults will think you're wildly hip. (Just make sure no one has a peanut allergies!) I hope you enjoy them as much as I do... Mike is calling this my "Love Letter to a Cookie" post. Thanks again MP for making them!

Proceed with caution: this recipe is amazing. Check it on one of my favorite blogs, White on Rice Couple!