Baking 101 Number 1 - peanut butter and jelly bars

OK Folks - frustrated with the lack of creativity currently in my life, and unable to work on Broadway singing and dancing I have committed to learning to bake. Working full time I decided, once a week, to try a new recipe and my successes and failures will show up here for all to see. I will try to reference the recipe each week if I can and give a degree of difficulty !

#1

Barefoot Contessa's 
peanut butter & jelly bars
from
barefoot contessa at home
degree of difficulty 2/10

 Source book

Page 170-171 

 Ingredients at the ready

 2/3 of the dough spread in prepared 9x13 pan

 Fruit jam

 1/3 dough crumbled on top

PEANUTS !

 Just out of the oven

Finished product !

1/2 lb unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 room temperature extra-large eggs

2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 cups jam of your choice

2/3 cup salted chopped peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour a 9x13x2 pan.

3. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment cream butter and sugar 2 minutes.

4.At low mixer speed add vanilla, eggs and peanut butter until combined.

5. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder then add a little at a time until combined with wet mixture.

6. Spread 2/3 of dough into prepared pan.

7. top with jam.

8. crumble remaining 1/3 of dough on top.

9. sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

10. Bake for 45 minutes, cool, cut and enjoy !

Results: Strong peanut taste, cookie like a shortbread, don't skimp on the jam might even add more ! Pretty terrific warm with milk !