Barefoot Bloggers: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Barefoot Bloggers is doing something a little different this month. For the week of Nov 2-6 they are having a "Week with Barefoot Contessa". The idea is that we make a new recipe for every day of the week and blog about it. I think it sounds like a great idea. The selected recipes all sound good to me and I am going to try to make at least three or four of them this week. I better get to it since it looks like I am going to be busy.

The first post was for a dessert - Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars. I love making desserts but I am not really a bar person so this will be something different for me. The bars were easy to put together. The only problem I had was getting them out of the pan. Around the edges they really stuck to the pan. Once I managed to chisel the edges out the rest came out easily.

I am very glad I tried this recipe. They bars were excellent. To me these were like a good peanut butter cookie and the jam just added a little something extra. I would for sure make these again for a church potluck or something. Make sure to check out the blog tomorrow - there should be more.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

(Source: Barefoot Contessa At Home, Page 170)

Makes 24 Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter (recommended: Skippy)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups 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 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.