PB & J Bars

I'm not sure that you can ever go wrong with the combination of peanut butter and jelly...so I figured these bars would be a delicious new recipe to try, simply because they contain PB and J! Luckily, my hunch was correct. :) These are a delicious treat filled with two classic, comforting flavors! Now, I have to say that if you're looking for a "cooking light" recipe, this recipe is not one for you. It contains two sticks of butter, two eggs, and two full cups of peanut butter... I often try to make lighter recipes, but I did not stick to that notion with these bars. Everything in moderation, right? So long as you don't eat 3 or 4 of these bars in one setting, I think you'll be a-okay. ;-)

All in all, this was an easy recipe. The preparation time was a little long for bars, maybe 30 minutes or so, but the techniques were not difficult in any way. Another nice thing about this recipe is that it calls for ingredients that you'll likely already have on hand. I found this recipe on one of the several baking blogs that I follow, Cookie Baker Lynn. Although I've read many of her entries, this was the first one I actually made. Since this one was pretty successful, I may try more of hers!

You can find this yummy recipe here. I made two slight alterations... For the three cups of all-purpose flour in this recipe, I actually used two cups of all-purpose and one cup of whole wheat flour. Also, salted peanuts are called for, but I used dry roasted. Oh, and I bet you're wondering what kind of jam or jelly I used! I used two different kinds, both of which originated in upstate New York! Woohoo. :) Half of what I used is jam from our family's neighbor at home, Mrs. Steves. That one was a rhubarb cranberry peach. Mmmmm. The other one came from Guma's restaurant in West Chazy, NY. That one was a classic raspberry jam. Soooo good!

The picture above on the right is of the batter before the flour mixture was added. I wanted to include that picture because I wanted to point how delicious the batter tasted at that point...yes, I tried it. You caught me!! Below are pictures as I was putting the bars together before popping them in the oven. First you spread about 2/3 of the batter in a greased and floured pan, and then you spread your jam or jelly over that layer. Next, you put the rest of the batter on that layer...but in "clumps." That's what the recipe says! The batter actually does even out and spread as it bakes, so no worries. The third picture below is the final product before it was baked!

I also tried one bar tonight after they were done (quality control, you know...), and I ate it while it was still warm. Oh my goodness, melt in your mouth deliciousness!!

Try this recipe the next time you're looking for a yummy comfort food that will please a crowd, kids and adults alike... :) Happy baking, friends!!

I just had to post a couple more pictures... I love how each bar is a little different from the next!