Pantry Bars!

Well, they're really Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, but I call them pantry bars because you could seriously make them anytime.

I was flipping through my latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine (how uppity does that sound?!) and there was a feature on desserts you could make with everyday items you'd find in your pantry.

Which prompted me to say, "pssh, you wanna bet!?"

Well, I lost the bet.  They were totally right.

But there were no losers tonight, because THESE BARS ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!!

This photo's provided by Bon Appetit because I simply couldn't wait for them to cool before I dug in.

Ingredients

nonstick spray

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup jelly/jam (I used some gangster blackberry preserves)

2/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Line an 8x8x2" pan with foil and coat with non-stick spray.

Using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, brown sugar, and butter until smooth.  Add in egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until smooth.

Transfer half of the dough mixture (approximate, not really that big of a deal) into plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Spread the remaining dough mixture at the bottom of the pan with your fingertips.  Spread jelly over in even layer.  Remove dough from the freezer and using your fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over the jelly layer.  Sprinkle peanuts on top.

Bake bars in oven until top is golden brown (about 30 minutes) and allow to cool completely before removing them from the pan and cutting them.

+ Author's Note: I didn't wait.  I never wait.  I actually laugh when I read recipes that tell you to wait.  It's just not going to happen.  Just eat it when it's still a little warm with a spoon.  (And you can tell Bon Appetit I said that!)

OMG.

The corner I delicately carved out…

Hopefully enough of it makes it out alive so I can bring it into work tomorrow.

Here's the official recipe… if you're the kind of person that likes to let things cool completely.