.:Peanut Butter and Jam Bars:.

I found this recipe on another blog, and thought I would re-post it here. I love peanut butter bars, and I thought this was a fun take on them, especially for those of us with little ones! Enjoy!


1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C shortening
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1t vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C strawberry or raspberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 C real butter, melted
2 C powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 T hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and combine. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Measure out the 1 1/4 C flour. Add small amounts at a time while mixer is running. When about half of the flour is left add the baking soda and baking powder to it. Combine well and then add to the dough mixture and mix until everything is incorporated.

Reserve one cup of the dough for later use.

Take the remaining dough and press it into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan. I crumble it evenly all over the bottom of the pan and then press it in with my fingers. Crumbling it first helps to create an even thickness.

Then dump your jam on.


Spread the jam over the dough in a nice even layer. Add a little more if you need it. Take the reserved 1 C of dough and use it to cover the jam layer. I take small pieces and press them with my fingers to create flat little pieces of dough. You can also crumble it if you want, but I like the pressing method. Some of the jam will still show through when you're done and that's fine

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. The top should be set and just barely golden brown. Don't overcookWhen done, remove from oven and cool on a rack. While it's cooling you can mix up your glaze.

Wait until they are completely cooled to room temp to glaze (or it really melts all over and falls to the center of the pan and forms a little pool in which you will impulsively dip your finger over and over again until the little pool is no more.)


Let the glaze set for a bit to harden a little and then cut them into squares.