Ina's Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made these for myself this weekend, because, as you know, butter cookies enriched with jelly and peanuts are just what you need after being sedentary for a month. I'm sure they moved directly to my hips, but not before I enjoyed every buttery morsel. These cookies are the adult version of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and while I can't promise for sure, I think they will make you feel like a kid again. The recipe for the cookies was developed by Ina Garten and while most folks who have made them like the cookies, others have found them to be dry and crumbly. I can't speak to what their problems might have been, but I can tell you we enjoyed the cookies and I would make them again. Because the bars are expensive to make, I want to share some tips with you. The measurement of flour can be tricky because of the way we scoop it. In a perfect world, we'd all weigh our flour and results would be consistent from one kitchen to another. That's not going to happen any time soon, so, I wanted to let those of you who decide to make these know how I measured mine. I have for years been a fluff, spoon and level gal and I suspect the quantity of flour that I use is a smidge less then that used by those who fluff and scoop. That distinction can sometimes be important and probably explains why some folks ended up with dry and crumbly cookie bars. It is equally important to let these sit for at least an hour before you cut them. This is the type of cookie that improves with age, so I made mine the day before I cut and served them. Our bars were very moist and we really enjoyed them. These are not an everyday cookie but if you are looking for an occasional treat, do give this recipe a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Peanut Butter Bars + Mazola Summer Grill Giveaway Winners

The winners of the drawing for the Mazola Summer Grilling Giveaway are Taste the Rainbow, and Carol Z. Please email your address information to me, so I can pass it on to the Mazola representative for mailing to you. Congratulations, gals!

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know that bacon is the poison of choice for most of my readers. While I, too, love the stuff, I'm partial to nuts and I must admit my allegiance is more firmly entrenched in the peanut butter camp. As a little girl, I'd sneak a jar of peanut butter and some saltines to my hideaway, a closet tucked under the front hall staircase, where I'd go to make my favorite "cookies" - peanut butter, finger smeared, on salty crackers. Lacking the foresight to bring utensils, I managed to get peanut butter on myself, the chain that dangled from the bare bulb and the door knob, and because I was still so young,  I could never figure out how my mother knew I had been in there. Unfortunately, I was usually intemperate in my use of peanut butter. Back in the day, nothing was super-sized, and my mother's weekly shopping placed only a small jar of peanut butter in the pantry. At least once a week, you could hear the far from dulcet accusation, "Hell's bells, Mary, that was meant for lunch," coming from her kitchen. And because that was then and not now, once she calmed down she would apologize for swearing. Such a wicked woman, it's no wonder I'm a mess and still inordinately fond of peanut butter and desserts that are made with it. The recipe I'm featuring tonight comes from Ellen Dorsey, who most of you know as Moomie, of famous bun fame. I found the recipe for Ellen's peanut butter bars on her website which you can find, here. The recipe makes a really nice bar cookie that is packed with peanut flavor, thanks to the use of peanut butter in both the dough and frosting. The simplicity of the recipe makes it a perfect cookie for children and novice cooks to make and  I think those of you who try Ellen's recipe will be really pleased with the results. Here is how these peanut butter bars are made.