Peanut Butter & Jelly Shortbread Bars
This tariff business is getting out of hand, but I think I’ll be okay so long as nobody slaps a tariff on my peanut butter.
Peanut butter is off limits because, as you probably know, it’s one of the major food groups for those of us 70 and over, along with Coffee, Mashed Potatoes, Hot Italian Sausage or Meatloaf, and Anything-Parmesan.
After 70 you also qualify for a supplemental food group – Dessert – that covers an additional six, or maybe it’s eight, sub-categories without which our medications don’t work nearly as well. Everyone I talk to swears to it.
The only thing bad you can say about peanut butter is that it’s a pain in the tush to measure. Even when I oil my measuring cup, the way they show you in those kitchen hacks, it sticks to the cup like a son-of-a-gun and makes a nuisance of itself. Aside from that, no complaints.
I bring all of this up because I think our country needs to come together right now and rally around something we can all agree on, like peanut butter and jelly.
I’m not talking about the sandwich now, iconic as it is. I’m talking about these Peanut Butter & Jelly Shortbread Bars.
Come to think of it, these are a type of sandwich. You’ve got a bottom layer of what I call peanut butter shortbread; a sweet smear of strawberry jam on that; then more of the shortbread strewn on top. They all bake together in delicious sandwich fashion and into something you’re going to find quite irresistible.
I know because I’ve been baking them pretty much nonstop for ages now and there seems to be no end in sight. They’re perfect with your morning coffee. Kids and grandkids adore them and love to pitch in with the mixing and prep. And at bake sales and potlucks, they just disappear.
A couple of quick tips before you dive in: use the right size pan, and preferably a shiny one, not dark; wait until they’ve cooled before you slice them; and chill for an hour or two before you remove them from the pan. They’ll be sturdier that way and easier to handle. (But do serve them at room temperature.)
Peanut Butter & Jelly Shortbread Bars
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Peter Pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts or walnuts
2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup strawberry jam, at room temperature
Instructions
1. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan. Line the bottom and all sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and smooth. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until evenly combined.
4. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the peanut butter mixture, about one-third at a time, until you have a cohesive dough. Press a little more than half the dough into the prepared pan. A good way to do this is to distribute large clumps of dough evenly in the pan, cover with a piece of plastic wrap, then press the dough evenly into place; remove the plastic. Refrigerate this panned dough for 20 minutes. Add the chopped nuts and oats to the remaining dough and work them in by hand. Refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 350°.
5. Put the jam in a small bowl and stir briskly to smooth it out. Spread the jam evenly over the dough, smoothing it with the back of a spoon.
6. Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the jam, breaking it up with your fingers. Press down very gently on the dough to compress it ever so slightly.
7. Bake on the middle rack for about 35 to 40 minutes. When they're done, you might see a little jam bubbling at the edges. The sides might turn a shade darker, but don't let them get too dark. Cool thoroughly on a rack before slicing. They'll cut more cleanly if they're slightly chilled first. Makes 16, 2- by 2-inch bars
