My PB & J Fix
There are few ingredients that work together quite as nicely as peanut butter and jelly. PB & J sandwiches were not popular until the 1940’s and some have theorized that soldiers in WWII combined their peanut butter rations with their jelly rations to eat a bit more quickly.
Whether this was, truly, the beginning of the popularity of the sandwich or not, the fact remains that this sandwich became a food favorite in the United States after the war ended.
I love peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes I think the bread is just a means to allow a very hefty serving of both ingredients. Actually, I’m happy taking a large spoonful of peanut butter and topping it with jelly. After all, why waste the calories on a slice of bread?
My craving for these ingredients came to a head this week and I decided that I would skip the sandwich and go straight to dessert: PB & J Brownies. Great decision, if you ask me.
My first batch was made in a ¼ sheet pan but the consistency and the taste were off. Most people felt that there wasn’t enough peanut butter but loved the amount of jelly.
Back to the drawing board or as it is referred to in my house, the kitchen. By baking the brownies in an 8” x 8” pan and increasing the peanut butter, I managed to fix both flaws.
Will Peanut Butter & Jelly Brownies replace the PB & J sandwich? Nope. It will, however, satisfy your PB & J fix in a new and delicious way.
Sorry, no video for these delicious PB & J Brownies. The flu won today, but not for long!
| Peanut Butter & Jelly Brownies | Print |
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup red raspberry preserves
- For the brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line an 8” x 8” baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Place the peanut butter, light brown sugar and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients.
- Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small metal spatula.
- Drizzle the preserves over the top and swirl into the peanut butter mixtures.
- Bake in the top third of a 350° oven for 40 – 45 minutes. If the top is getting too dark, tent aluminum foil over the top.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the edges off the brownies. Cut into 16 pieces.
- Betsy's tidbits:
- Spray the 8” x 8” pan with nonstick cooking spray before placing the parchment paper in the pan. This keeps the paper in place.
- Any kind of jelly/jam will work. My personal favorite is red raspberry preserves.
- Cutting the edges off the PB & J Brownies provides uniform looking brownies. This is done for aesthetic purposes only so feel free to cut your brownies with edges still attached.
