Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

We have finally made it to Phase 2 of South Beach! Finally some real desserts (in moderation of course) are allowed. Now I'm not going to pretend I didn't cheat with a piece of toast or 2 last week. The intensity of the boot camp I have been doing made it really tough to cut out all carbs and there were two days last week that I after my workout I needed a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Once I realized it wasn't just a craving but my body needed the food, as in I got all tired and cranky I decided a cheat like that was ok.

Moving on. Phase 2 yummy South Beach approved Peanut butter & Jelly cookies. These are super easy and oh so yummy. My sister first made this recipe when I was back in LA and they are extremely satisfying if you have a sweet tooth and are craving a sweet treat. Remember to keep the serving to just 2 cookies. But paired with a glass of iced cold skim milk they are the perfect post dinner treat.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
from the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

3/4 cup granular sugar substitute
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy trans-fat-free peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar-free jam, any flavor

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix sugar substitute, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer set on low for 3 minutes. Add peanut butter and baking soda. Mix on medium until dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
3. Form dough into 24 (2-teaspoon) balls and place on baking sheet 1 inch apart. Gently press your thumb into the center of each to make an indentation. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon jam.
4. Bake until lightly browned on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I used Smuckers Sugar-Free Apricot jam for my cookies because it was all we had in the house. The boy wasn't thrilled of the idea of apricot jam with peanut butter, preferring raspberry or strawberry, so he asked that I leave it off of some of the cookies. I did but we both concluded that they are much to dry with out the dollop of jam and as I suspected were very tasty with the apricot. Next time I'll make sure to have a few types of jam around just so I can make a variety. Enjoy!