Peanut Butter & Jam Cookies

My daughter asked me if we could make cookies today. It's almost 100 degrees but I'm always up for baking. When I asked what kind she said peanut butter & jelly...or grilled cheese. Not sure I know of a good grilled cheese cookie recipe, so I think we'll go with the pb&j thumbprints.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookie 
Adapted from Taste and Tell

1 3/4 cups wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4  cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1  egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup strawberry jelly

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add the egg and mix well. Add in the vanilla and peanut butter, mixing well. Add in the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Incorporate apple sauce.

Shape the dough into 30 balls. Space about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Using your thumb make and indentation in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and using the end of a wooden spoon, press down on the thumbprint to make sure the cookie has an indentation. Cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, fill each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of jam.