Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
It's back to school week around here and there's nothing that makes me think of "school" more than peanut butter and jelly. I used to have it for lunch nearly every day, and it's still something I love to whip up today. It's also one of my favorite flavor combinations to use in desserts - peanut butter and jelly cake, peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies, peanut butter and jelly muffins, peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, and these peanut butter and jelly bars.
These bars are so simple to make and taste just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If you're like me and love this simple sandwich, you're going to love these yummy bars!
Enjoy!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Yield: 15 bars
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup strawberry jam, or flavor of your choice
2 1/2 cups REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking powder.
3. With a pastry cutter, or in your food processor, cut the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add eggs and blend well.
5. Press half the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan, and then spread the jam over the crust.
6. Sprinkle 1 3/4 cup of the peanut butter chips over the jam. Stir the remaining reserved crumb mixture with the remaining peanut butter chips and sprinkle over the top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.