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Monday, May 25, 2009

We go together like...

...peanut butter and jelly? Or maybe peanut butter and chocolate? Dare I say peanut butter, jelly AND chocolate? I'm going to let you in on a little secret (okay, it's not that secret), I do NOT like peanut butter and jelly together; separately, yes. However, peanut butter and chocolate together, I adore. I know some of you are cursing me now. Doesn't like peanut butter and jelly!? Ha, how un-American is that! Who does she think she is? Is she too good for peanut butter and jelly? Why, I never. I know, right. I remember a babysitter I had as a kid...she made everybody else peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I said, "Hold the jelly, Sue" (well, I don't actually remember her name, but Sue sounds good). Sometimes in the summer on one of those long days spent in the sun and the pool with loads of family, we'll end up taking a peanut butter sandwich break. It always makes me laugh to see everybody, young and old, shouting out their order! Smooth! Crunchy! Grape! Strawberry! HOLD THE JELLY!! I will eat just plain peanut butter with a big, ice cold glass of milk...but I also like peanut butter and honey or peanut butter and bananas (my uncle's fave is actually grilled peanut butter and bananas...channeling Elvis!?). And from my mom I get the love of a grilled, crunchy peanut butter sandwich and a peanut butter and lettuce sandwich. But, I digress. I am actually here to tell you about these fab looking bars I saw in the Food Network Magazine's past issue. A few of the FN chefs were given a regular pantry ingredient (Saltines) to make into something new. Check out these bad boys!
PB&J Chocolate Bars by Sarah Copeland, Food Network Magazine J/J '09 FOR THE BASE: 1 stick unsalted butter 1/3 c. granulated sugar 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 large egg, beaten 1 sleeve saltines (40 crackers, regular or whole wheat), finely crushed 3/4 c. finely chopped roasted peanuts FOR THE FILLING AND GLAZE: 1/4 c. grape jelly 7 Tbs. + 1 tsp. unsalted butter, softened 1/3 c. creamy peanut butter 1/2 c. confectioners sugar 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chips) First thing I did was to put the saltines in a baggie and roll them until they were finely crushed. I actually did the same thing with the peanuts. MAKE THE BASE: Line an 8" square baking pan with foil, extending it over the sides. Put the butter in a medium heat proof bowl; position the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water". Once the butter melts, stir in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk in the egg; cook, whisking, until the mixture is warm and the consistency of hot fudge, 6 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in saltine crumbs and peanuts. Press the crust into the pan. Set aside the saucepan of water...then, MAKE THE FILLING: Spread the jelly over the crust in the pan; place in the freezer for a few minutes. Beat 5 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. butter, the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until light. Spread over the jelly layer; return to the freezer while you make the glaze. Place the chocolate and remaining 2 Tbs. of butter in a heatproof bowl; set over the pan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. When cool but still runny, spread over the chilled peanut butter layer. Freeze another 30 minutes. Bring the bars to room temperature. Use the foil flaps to remove the bars from the pan; cut into squares.
I urge you NOT to make these on a hot day like I did...or you'll have a hot mess on your hands! Bring them to room temp in an actual "room temp" room, not a sauna. The bottom layer stays nice and firm, but the peanut butter layer will slide right off of the jelly layer and the top chocolate layer will keep on sliding after that. HA..it was actually pretty funny; I mean, I couldn't really get mad about something so out of my control as the weather, so I just had to smile. The good thing about them, though is that you can just set them into the fridge to firm up and no harm done! I actually ended up keeping leftovers in the fridge, too. Okay, they were good. Not good enough to make me join the school of We go together like peanut butter and jelly, but good enough that I've eaten more than one. ***There are still a couple of days left to send me your recipes that included Chile Peppers from the month of May for my end of the month Round-Up!! You may even win a cool prize :)
"We go together like... Ramma lamma lamma ka dingity ding da dong Shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yippity boom da boom Chang chang changity chang shoo bop Dip da dip da dip do wop da dooby do Boogy boogy boogy boogy shooby sho wap sho wap Sha na na na na na na na yippity dip da do ...we'll always be together"

Would you like to comment?

  1. I wish I was living near you right now, just so I can get a few pieces of those!!

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  2. I could eat the jelly without the peanut butter ;) Not a big fan, but for someone who is, these bars look like they'd fit the bill!

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  3. They look amazing!

    I don't know about the peanut butter and lettuce sandwich.

    I love crunchy peanut butter but my kids like creamy so I rarely my favorite.

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  4. Looks Yummy!! You're right ... chocolate and peanut butter ... well it's heaven sent!

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  5. I love a light dessert :). Golly, but these look good. A must try in the not too distant future.

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  6. these are so enticing I had to quickly get up and eat an oreo just to stay sane!

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  7. We must be twinners...I don NOT like PB and jelly....I like my PB with honey or PB with chocolate. These bars, sans jelly, would be a hit on my list...guess I'll have to make it find out!

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  8. they look great I don't like pb and j either but I am a Brit after all!!

    Rebecca

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  9. I love PB & J and chocolate so I'm in heaven here.

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  10. Yeah, these look good..really good

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  11. you don't like PB and J? GASP! Blasphemy!
    lol. but I agree, PB and honey and PB and bananas are SO good...in fact, I have a recipe up my sleeves involving PB and banana...but you'll have to wait awhile!
    anyway, those bars look damn delicious! would be great with a cold glass of milk!

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  12. Tasteful! I love PBnJ!
    Thanks for sharing:)

    and you can visit me if i visit you:)

    Welcome! foodcreate

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  13. I eat PB plain a lot, too, my favorite is on toast so it gets all melty. When I'm feeling very indulgent I eat it with butter, a strange but tasty combo, my Grandma used to make them like that. Anywhoo, these look real yummy! I love the saltines in them and I bet their great cold straight from the fridge.

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  14. These bars look very decadent and yummy! I love the crust with saltine crackers.

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  15. I didn't like PB and J as a kid either, I don't mind it now, but now I have calories to think about lol! These bars look FANTASTIC, I love the combination, who'd have thought!

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  16. mmmmmm. those would have me humming summer lovin all night! i could eat a whole batch of them on my front porch!

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  17. I was going crazy for these earlier when you first posted, but then my guests knocked, so I had to go...Wow these are crazy goodness...lol on the 'summer lovin all night' comment, but sooooo right!

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  18. Oh absolute perfection here! LOVE this post.. Love the combo.. want one now please.

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  19. YUM!!! and thats about all this memorial day food stuffed stomach can muster...LOL

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  20. I have made three pans of all different brownies within just this last week ( so much for mw being bikini ready for summer! damn!) and now you show me this!! man, I am going to have to try it

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  21. These look so good! I'm not sure about the jelly either, but I'm right there with you on PB and lettuce. Too weird. I eat PB on my BLT's.

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  22. Girlichef, you make me smile BIG.

    These bars look very good, sweet and salty.

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  23. WOW!!! These are beyond words...chocolate and peanut butter, be still my heart!

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  24. Awesome! It was a PB & J kind of weekend... LOL Those look positively SINFUL good!!

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  25. This looks great-a definite must try recipe!!

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  26. Peanut butter, jelly and chocolate in one cookie...fantastic. I would love them. I used to eat PB and lettuce sandwiches when I was a child. Good memories.

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  27. What a good sport.. I'm not really a fan of P & J together either.. So although this cookie recipe is probably fabulous I don't know if it would be the first I would make on a cookie baking day. I'm a plain and maybe a bit chunky peanut butter cookie girl. :)
    But.. I did finally make that Baja Style salsa and roasted all the veggies. Thank you so much Heather for the tip!! :)

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  28. i'm just drooling right now.......yummmooooo!

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  29. These really look delicious but I am a bit confused about what Jelly is. From the picture it looks like jam to me or is it something else?

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  30. These really look great! I love PB sandwiches with strawberry or apricot jam! Chocolate (better yet, Nutella) works just fine too! :)

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  31. ah...every time I visit your blog and listen to the music, my butt automatically shakes itself to the beat!
    what was I gonna say?
    oh, yeah! please join our warm fuzzies game! >___<

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  32. One big YUM! Chocolate and peanut butter never fails to please this old gal. Thanks for the great recipe. (and for the trip down memory lane with the Grease tune!) :)

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  33. Okay - peanut butter and lettuce??? I'm game. Seriously, gorgeous stuff - really. Want them all and bow to your creativity.

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  34. I think they look amaing but then I am a PB&J and chocolate fan too. ;-)

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  35. I've been wanting to try those!! They do look really good and I've been craving sweets something fierce lately. And, don't worry as long as you like pb and chocolate together you're doing good!! That's the ultimate combo.

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  36. The bars look really tempting; I love chocolate and peanut butter together!
    Just found your blog- it's great!

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  37. Love this chocolate fudge bars...
    What exactly is grape jelly? Sweetened powder-like?

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  38. ...Ivy & Angie's Recipes- Jelly is basically jam, but it is harder to spread (so why do people love it so??) I am actually a bigger jam fan myself, but they are close.

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  39. I wasn't a PB-grape-jelly combo girl either and it's worse now b/c I can't even have straight PB! But this looks so good, I'd be willing to pop a few extra Benadryl for a taste. 8-D

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  40. I just finished my PB&J sandwich! These look lovely and intense.

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  41. These look so rich and decadent! I'm opposite of you, I love Pb and J, but not pb and c. That being said, I'd still eat these :-)

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  42. This sounds delicious, sharing this post on my Wednesday and wandering links, thanks!

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  43. How fun, I'm just coming across this, over two years later but I'm so glad you and so many others enjoyed my recipe! Thanks for posting this!

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  44. @Sarah Copeland...wow, thanks for dropping by =) Thank you for creating such a fun, delicious recipe!!

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