PB&J Bars
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 16, 2019
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Feel free to use any flavor of jam here, but steer clear of jelly; it may be a childhood classic, but its weak fruit flavor doesn't stand up to the peanut butter here.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Reserve 1 cup of dough in bowl for topping. Transfer remaining dough to prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir peanuts into reserved dough for topping.
- Spread jam evenly over hot crust, then drop small pieces of topping evenly over jam. Bake until jam is bubbling and topping is golden, about 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan. Cut into 24 pieces before serving.
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
In this cookie version of the favorite pairing, a fruity jam center brightens the flavor of a sturdy but soft peanut butter shortbread base that doubles as a cobbler-style topping for this rich, satisfying bar cookie. We pat the cookie dough into a baking pan, reserving a portion for the topping. We then mixed chopped peanuts—salted for extra flavor—into the reserved dough for an extra-nutty, crunchy topping that provided a nice contrast to the softer base. Baking the crust alone for 15 minutes created a solid foundation, while waiting to spread the jam onto the base until after it parbaked prevented the jam from overcooking or making the base soggy.
Before You Begin
Feel free to use any flavor of jam here, but steer clear of jelly; it may be a childhood classic, but its weak fruit flavor doesn't stand up to the peanut butter here.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until just incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Reserve 1 cup of dough in bowl for topping. Transfer remaining dough to prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir peanuts into reserved dough for topping.
- Spread jam evenly over hot crust, then drop small pieces of topping evenly over jam. Bake until jam is bubbling and topping is golden, about 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let bars cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan. Cut into 24 pieces before serving.
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