December 15, 2012 Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

A broken foot put me out of commission and out of the kitchen for way too many weeks. During that time my sister in law Jody’s birthday occurred, and now that I am back on my feet I wanted to commemorate her special day, about two months after the fact! Jody is a lover of all things peanut butter. Her wedding shower even featured a table exclusively of various peanut butter treats. I decided on peanut butter and jam bars, so we could enjoy them for  dessert after Sunday dinner and I could send some home with everyone for later. 

In this classic combination of flavors, creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanuts and tangy sweet strawberry jam combine to make a delicious bar cookie. It’s a nice mix of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft. Interestingly, Ina’s original recipe is titled  Peanut Butter and Jelly bars, even though Ina calls for raspberry jam in hers. The classic duo, of course would be the childhood favorite, peanut butter and grape jelly. Feel free to substitute the jelly/jam of your choice. After much deliberation, I used strawberry jam.

Don’t skip the parchment layer, it will make your life easier when you remove the cooled cookies from the pan.  I increased the amount of peanuts in my nut topping and chose honey roasted salted peanuts, because I like a little salty with my sweet. The next time I make these bars I will sprinkle some of the nuts on the jam so they will stick better before I crumble on the streusel topping. When I cut my bars this time I had too many escaped “errant nuts” that I had to push back on or consume in the name of neatness!!

The yield stated for the bars according to the original recipe is 24. I would most likely cut them on a 6×4 grid. However, as a former caterer I would be inclined to cut them even smaller, especially if they were going to be part of a dessert buffet.  I have always found that the smaller the portion, the more likely someone will take one. That way your guests can sample a larger variety of sweets with a little less guilt.  The bars keep best in the refrigerator and they get better with time, if you can keep them that long.

I must conclude with my rant concerning the ever shrinking world of product sizes. When Ina first developed this recipe in the kinder and simpler world of  2005, a standard 18 ounce jar of peanut butter and an 18 ounce jar of jam or jelly would be used for the recipe, leaving no leftovers. In late 2008, Unilever Brands, makers of Skippy, reduced the size of their standard 18 ounce jar of peanut butter to 16.3 ounces. The jar still looks exactly the same in shape and size, but there is a “dimple” in the bottom that reduces the content by about 10%. I am loyal to Skippy but if you are a “choosy mother”, you will find an additional ounce in your 17.3 ounce jar of Jif. So, what to do, reduce the amount of peanut butter in the recipe by about 2 ounces? I think not. The next size jar is 28 ounces, so 10 ounces of Skippy creamy peanut butter is waiting for the next recipe, another batch anyone?

Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

Yield 24 bars

From Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 c (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 c all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 1/2 c (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam or jelly of your choice
• 1 c  honey roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
4. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
5. Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into squares.