Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Source: Culinary Infatuation

So I tried my hand at baking again. I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I thought these bars sounded great.



Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (omitted, didn't have)
  
• 2 extra large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2 Cups creamy peanut butter (18 oz) (used crunchy, all we have)
  
• 3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting pan
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam or other jam (18 oz) (12oz)
  
• 2/3 cups chopped salted peanuts (omitted, figured had enough peanuts in it)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
• In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together (Ina uses her KA mixer) on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs and peanut butter until well combined.
• In a small bowl sift 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.
• Spread 2/3 of the dough in the prepared pan, using a knife to spread it evenly. Spread the jam evenly over the dough.
• Drop small small globs of the dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; the dough will spread.
• Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes.
• Cool and cut into squares.

Next Time- These were good, but I guess a little dry. Perhaps using a little more jelly would work, but I'm not sure it would make that much of a difference. Just not sure that these are good enough for a 2nd try. Not that you shouldn't try them.