Strawberry Jam Pretzel Cookies

I mean, why can’t cookies have crusts, I thought the other day? Salty and sweet- I’ve been craving cookies lately- maybe it’s all the niece’s softball games and track meets or the toddler park dates, the portability and shareability makes this format so joyful. Since strawberry season (the jammy centerpiece) always brings out my favorite counterpart, pretzels (the crust), I decided to bridge the gap of the two with cheesecake since strawberry cheesecake is always a thing and pretzels in cream cheese dip is also one of the best snack moves. Have fun, and don’t forget to share :)

Jam

Any flavor jam that fits your cookie flavor story dreams works here. Feel free to sub in raspberry, peach, blackberry or any jammy combo you have on the fridge door.

Also very pro you making your own jam if you’ve got the time and the enthusiasm!

Jamming with fruit is one of my favorite things to do as an adult, probably because I always pity the bruised and overripe fruit at the grocery, the farmers' market, or in my own fridge—in fact, it's sweeter and more delicious than ever, just needs a makeover. Plus, jam is so darn colorful, punchy, and worthy-the flavor base of a No-Churn Ice Cream (page 274) or star of a Pie Bar (page 272) or layered onto a Crepe and rolled up, to my kids' delight (page 113).

Looking to rock some citrus instead? See Citrus Jam. 

Frozen fruit is TOTALLY permitted here in place of fresh.

→ Get a discount at the farmers' market by asking for "seconds," the bruised, super-ripe, and fragrant fruit that makes the best jam but isn't much to look at un-jammed.

→ When you're choosing berries, the smaller and truer the color (red, blue, black, etc.), the better.

Pretzels 

The smaller the pretzels, the more flavor- that’s why I always use mini pretzels- they have more surface area of that boiled then baked dark brown pretzel crust, and more surface area salty coverage than the bigger rods.

If pretzels don’t fit your cookie flavor fantasy, make a sandy crumb with the butter, sugar and milk powder that does! Graham crackers! Nilla wafers! Chocolate Chip cookies, Oreos! Ritz crackers! 

Cream of Tartar

Primarily used as a stabilizer when whipping egg whites, cream of tartar in a cookie recipe adds an incredible lift and edgy acidic flavor, It also helps make a smoother textured cookie, all perfect elements of that “cheesecake” spirit!

Nonfat Milk Powder

Often labeled as instant nonfat dry milk, this white powder adds chew and oomph to any baked good it touches, in this case both your cookie dough AND your pretzel crust. If it's not in the baking aisle, you can often find it near the drink powders or sometimes in the baby food aisle. If you want to fully understand its secret powers, try a side-by-side taste of a recipe without it and you'll get what l am saying.

A Few Notes on Cookies

Scale any recipe up/down, scoop any recipe smaller than called for or make any cookie recipe into a cookie pie.

• Smaller mini cookies, 6-8 mins, 350°F

• Medium sized ⅓ cup dough round cookies, 10-12 mins, 350°F 

• Larger cookies, 12-16 mins, 350°F

• Cookie pie (aka all the cookie dough smooshed into a greased 9” cake pan or pie plate) 20-25 mins, 350°F

I like a cookie pulled a minute or two early for fudgy center every time.

How do I get my cookies to look good? Before baking the entire batch of cookies, I always bake a Tester Cookie - one from the batch I just mixed to triple check the time, temperature and mixture is exactly what I want it to be before baking the rest of the dough. That is one of the coolest parts of a cookie- you still have control over the mixture, compared to cake or bread, so take advantage and Test that Cookie before going full force into the oven.

Strawberry Jam Pretzel Cookies

Makes 1 dozen

8 Tablespoons butter, softened

5 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cups flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons milk powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 

¾ cup ground pretzels 

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons milk powder

¾ cup strawberry jam

Mini pretzels for decor

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper and put to the side.

2. In a large bowl, with a spatula mix together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the sugar and vanilla and mix again until well combined. 

3. Add in the flour, cornstarch, milk powder, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar and mix until just combined. Put the bowl to the side.

4. Ensure you have ¾ cup ground pretzels measured out (I use a mini food processor for mine, but a ziploc baggie and a rolling pin will do, too!). In a small bowl, mix together ground pretzels, butter, sugar and milk powder, tossing with a spoon until well combined.

5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the pretzel crumbs onto prepped sheet pans 3-inches apart (6 rounds/ pan), then scoop ¼ cup of cheesecake cookie dough on top. Repeat with the remaining crumbs and cookie dough. With clean hands, flatten the cookie dough domes into the pretzel crust below. Then use your fingertips to create little wells inside each cookie dough round. Spoon 1 tablespoon jam into each little well. Top cookie dough with any remaining pretzel crust, maybe even garnish with mini pretzels or pretzel pieces.

6. Bake at 350°F 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies have puffed, spread and turned golden brown around the edges. Cool completely on the pans before serving.