It’s peanut butter jelly time. Or as most people know it… back-to-school time.
There is just something about peanut butter and jelly that says back to school… probably because it’s the most packed sandwich. But why not surprise your kids with Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars in their lunch box instead? Or better yet, save it for an after-school treat.
Originally, I was going to make these as a full pan, bar cookie. But I thought it would be more fun, and portable, to make individual ones. I used a muffin tin with square holes, but they can easily be made using a standard muffin tin.
You can use any jam/jelly flavor you want, but I grew up with PB&J’s made with grape jelly. So I stuck to what I know. For these treats, I used Cascadian Farms Grape Jelly. I had never had this brand before and let me tell you – it is my go-to grape jelly from now on. Such great grape flavor!
To make the bars, mix up the dough. Leave a large cup of dough off to the side for topping later. Add about two tablespoons of the dough to each of the prepared muffin cups.
Press the dough down into the muffin cup.
Spread a generous tablespoon of jelly onto the dough.
Put the remaining dough back into the mixer. Add a cup of peanut butter candy pieces and mix on low until they are incorporated. Then roll the dough into little balls and drop them on top of the jelly.
Bake and remove from oven. The jelly will most likely ooze a little. Make sure to run a knife around the edges before they cool completely. This will make removal from the muffin tin easier later.
Serve to your hungry kiddos in hopes of making homework less painful.
Peabody loves ice hockey (she plays!) and all things baking! Check out her great stuff at her blog site Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and her Tablespoon profile. Keep an eye out for what she can do with party food!
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