Brown Bag Cookies

In high school my friends used to mock me because my lunches were so predictable. I almost always brown-bagged it and in the fall I'd bring a peanut butter and jam sandwich and an apple. In the winter, as the good apples disappeared and got replaced by the mealy ones, I'd switch to peanut butter and jam sandwiches and an orange. For a sleep-deprived teen trying to get out the door in the morning, there's nothing easier to slap together than peanut butter and jam. Plus it doesn't need refrigeration and it's delicious.

You might think after all those peanut butter sandwiches I might have grown weary of peanut butter. Not so. It's one of my favorite food groups. In fact, replacing that whole dodgy "green things" portion of the food pyramid with peanut butter would work for me. Peanuts are legumes. Health food right there. Plus the oils they contain are terrifically beneficial. So it's even better! When you factor in how many flavors pair wonderfully with peanut butter, it's hard to think of a more versatile food.

But the classic is, of course, pb & j. How could you improve upon a classic? Well, turn it into a cookie! This cookie is the ultimate in take-me-back-to-childhood comfort food. It has the sweetness of jam sandwiched between two moist, peanut butter layers. They're fabulous the day you make them, but they continue to get moister and better as the jam sinks in. It's dangerous for me to have a pan of these sitting on the counter because I cannot walk by without taking a square. And then another one to keep the first square company.


Peanut Butter and Jam Bars
adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups creamy peanut butter, such as JIF (18 oz)
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 cups favorite jam (I used blueberry here)
2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until well combined.

Sift together into a small bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread two thirds of the dough in the prepared pan, using a knife to spread it evenly. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; the dough will spread when it bakes. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into 24 squares.