Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

My childhood was filled with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And I'm not going to lie, so is my adult life. But these, these are great! It is like making something that is classic, classy. The best part, they are so easy to make!

Makes: A baking dish that is about 7' by 10' or an 8' by 8'

Takes: about 1 hour

Difficulty: 1 out of 5 (perfect for kids!)

Prep:

Butter your baking form and lay a piece of parchment in the bottom leaving just about an inch overhanging on the end to help lift the bars out after they are done baking.

Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (160 grams) smooth or crunchy peanut butter

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter - room temperature

1/4 cup (60 grams) packed brown sugar (you can leave this out completely)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 - 1 cup (130-160 grams) jam or jelly

Optional: Peanuts for the top

Instructions:

Step 1 - Mix the Dried Ingredients

In a medium bowl, mix together the 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Once mixed, set aside until needed. Step 2 - Find the Large Bowl

In a large bowl, add your 2/4 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, and your 1/4 cup brown sugar (but you can leave this out to control the sweetness). Mix these ingredients for about 3-4 minutes until everything is well combined.

Step 3 - Toss in Egg

Once the butter are well combined and smooth, add in the 1 egg and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until combined - about 1-2 minutes

Step 4 - Fold in Dry Ingredients

When your wet ingredients are well combined, go ahead and dumb in your dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix everything together until there is no flour left. The batter will seem dry, but that is okay. Step 5 - Start Filling the Baking Dish Using half your peanut butter dough, press half of it into the bottom of the baking dish. Make sure it reaches the corners. Then, spoon your jam over top the batter you just pressed into the baking tray and spread it out evenly. Using the renaming peanut butter dough, crumble it over top the job. Step 6 - Bake Once ready, pop the baking dish in the preheated over for about 30 minutes. Step 7 - Cool and Enjoy Once baked, pop the bars out of the oven and let them cool completely. Then, using the handles you created from the parchment paper, pull the bars out of the baking dish and cut them into bite size bars. Enjoy