When I first became interested in cooking and baking, I had only a few cookbooks in my collection. Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours, was an early favorite, and I remember bringing that book to work with me and devouring it on my breaks. I read it from cover to cover (multiple times!) trying to absorb as much of the information as I possibly could. My coworkers always thought it was hilarious that I was reading a cookbook like a novel, but I learned so much – more than anything else, I credit that book with teaching me to bake.
My library of cookbooks has expanded considerably in the years since, and I don’t always make the time to read each of them as thoroughly as I once read Dorie’s Baking. When a new book arrives, I’ll usually quickly flip through the pages flagging the recipes I really want to try. Sometimes a little too hastily, apparently, because occasionally I’ll see a recipe I really want to make on another blog, only to scroll down and discover it’s from a book I already own. Ooops.
That was exactly the case with these peanut butter and jelly bars that I discovered on Michelle’s blog, Brown Eyed Baker. They’re from one of my favorite baking books, Baked Explorations, and I wanted to make them as soon as I saw her post. Peanut butter and jelly is such a classic nostalgic treat, it reminds me of the elementary school cafeteria. If we ever kept bread in the house it’d probably be a go-to lunch even now for me. These bars take the idea to another level. At the base is a sweet pastry dough, which is topped with a frosting-like peanut butter filling, then a layer of jelly (I used my childhood favorite, grape!) and finally a crumble topping. They’re a little bit messy to eat but completely irresistible nonetheless. The recipe calls for storing them in the fridge, but I liked ’em best at room temperature so I took one out 15 minutes or so before I ate it. The book’s authors jokingly suggest the bars as a lunch substitute, and on this Monday, that’s sounding like a pretty good idea to me π
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Peanut Butter Filling
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups peanut butter
1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumble Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cups rolled oats
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Jelly
2 cups of your favorite jelly or preserves (I used grape)
Spray a 9×13 baking pan (preferably glass or light-colored metal) with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper then spray the parchment too.
To make the crust: Add the sugar, flour and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg to the food processor and pulse repeatedly until the dough begins to hold together. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove the dough from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to take the chill off (otherwise it may be too cold and crack when you try to roll it). On a lightly floured work piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 9×13 rectangle just slightly bigger than the bottom of your pan. Gently transfer the dough to the pan (it’s likely to develop a few cracks/holes, don’t worry you can patch them afterward). Lightly press the dough into the bottom of the pan then trim off the excess and use it to patch any holes. Pop the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F.
Line the pan with aluminum foil then fill it 3/4-full with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pie weights and foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.
To make the peanut butter filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the peanut butter, beating to combine. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and continue beating until the filling is smooth and fluffy. Distribute the filling over the crust, and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Pop the pan in the refrigerator to chill while you make the crumble topping.
To make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, and beat briefly to combine. Add the brown sugar and use your hands to rub it in until the mixture is even in color and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Add the oats and mix on low to combine. Add the cold butter cubes, and beat on low until the pieces of butter are no larger than peas and loose crumbs form.
To assemble: Remove the pan from the refrigerator. Spread the jelly over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the jelly layer (I squeezed some into bigger chunks and left some loose).
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the topping browns. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting the bars. (I refrigerated mine before cutting.) Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
These look decadent!
this looks soooo good! it’s like a pb jelly sandwich but in dessert/bar form and who doesn’t love that?!
I like that these pb&j bars have all the different layers and textures. These look like winners!
I just love PB & J anything! These bars look so fantastic with all that peanut butter goodness. I wish I had one right about now!
I am head over heels in love with these–and was when I saw them on Michelle’s blog, too! What a perfect sweet treat. π
Michelle of Brown Eyed Baker has a similar looking bar on her site that I’ve had my eye on for a few months & it’s also from Baked Explorations. Just opened my bookmark π
Now I HAVE to make these b/c you pushed me over the edge. They look sooooo perfect!!! PB & J!
It’s weird. I love the crap out of peanut butter, as you know, and I thoroughly enjoy a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the thought of taking that into a dessert makes me uneasy and I have no reason for it. It HAS to be good but somehow I am not yet convinced. Call me strange because it’s true.
I read cookbooks like books, too! Sometimes I even go back and read them again because there are always great recipes like this one that somehow I miss the first time through. I love peanut butter and jelly and that thick peanut butter layer is calling my name.
Oh my goodness, Tracey! I want to knock on your door right now for one of these. I love this combination. Perfect!
I love how much PB you use in this recipe and the crumble topping is a nice compliment!
i’ve made ina garten’s pb&j bars- to die for!
oh man, these sound to die for!!
Ok, I need 10 of these!
Lol. I read cookbooks on my lunch at work and get funny looks, too. But I don’t hear any complaints when I bring in baked goods… =)
I read cookbooks like novels too. I’ve been wanting to make PBJ bars for awhile. They look great and very very delicious.
I would eat this for lunch for sure. It’s pretty much a sandwich. π
Those look really awesome! I should spend more time reading my cookbooks, since a lot of them have so much good information along with the recipes.
I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday for lunch. Every. Single. Day. Even when I’m home from school and I haveto option of making whatever I want, I still go for PB&J. These look absolutely amazing, and I would totally opt to have this as my PB&J sandwich substitute. π
WOW. I want one NOW!
These look so good!!
Oh my they look delicious! Love how thick that layer of peanut butter is!
I don’t think my life will be complete until I make these!
I love pb&j – and I can’t imagine anything better than having it in bar form!!
Look at all that peanut butter!! These bars sound amazing!
Oh I fell in love with these bars immediately! So glad you loved them too! And those cookbooks are nothing short of awesome!
Oooh! That huge layer of peanut butter goodness is calling my name!
Even though I’m past the cafeteria days, I still love PB&J’s. My favorite part was always the PB, however, so I love that there is a thick layer of that in these bars. Yum!
You’ve inspired me to purchase Dorie Greenspan’s book!
..this is definitely on my to-make list. My son would love it!
Talking of peanut butter jelly, you might like this quote. Janet Evanovich Quote
I’m so glad I’m finally catching up on my google reader. I was just talking about these bars today to a friend who is looking for something to take to an event where the treat has to please kids and grown ups alike. I have been wanting to make this recipe since I bought Baked Explorations. It just sounds like such a fun treat. Your photos are great!
I have been wanting to make these forever. I’m a sucker for peanut butter and jelly, and these look completely irresistible!
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is all about favourite foods from childhood. I do hope you link this lovely one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links. Have a great week.