Recipe: It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

One of the most enjoyable aspects of cooking are the happy accidents. We've all had those experiences when we think we are creating a certain dish, and it turns out differently than we expected, and not necessarily for the better.

There are those culinary surprises which aren't so fantastic. You know, like finding out you owe back taxes. That's not a good surprise. Neither is finding out you accidentally put in two tablespoons of salt into your cookie dough instead of two teaspoons.

However, there are those occasions when the end result is actually better than what you expected. Last week, I was trying to make a brownie-like pumpkin bar. I expected the result to be somewhat cake-ish and fluffy with ribbons of cream cheese and pumpkin butter. What I got instead, was exactly as I described...a pumpkin pie bar. And in my estimation, a happy accident, as I really enjoyed the novelty of creating a portable tidbit size version of a very popular holiday dessert.

Recently, I took my darling daughter to the mall. I was beginning to think people didn't think I clothed her as she's grown, as the hem of every last pair of jeans was hitting her somewhere above the ankle, relegating her to "nerd herd" status (her words, not mine). In any case, I have the only teenage girl in a 100-mile radius who hates shopping (it's soooo booooring mom!), and I had to bribe her with a promised stop at the mall pet store to look at the puppies.

In an effort to create "designer dogs," there are brilliant breeders across America who sit at their kitchen tables and brainstorm ways to create some new must-have breed. "Let's cross a Dalmatian with a Chihuahua, it can fit in your purse and put out forest fires." Simplistically, they are creating mutts. I can go to the  and instead of paying $1,500 for a mutt, I can pay $35. Seems like the better deal. And it's not a good idea to mess with mother nature. Seriously.  

Our family recently adopted a Corgi-Terrier mix. His front end looks decidedly different from the back end and he has no legs of which to speak. It really does make me wonder what his mamma was thinking.

But the trip to the pet store made me think of experimenting and mixing things together that you might not think of trying. On the eve of Halloween, I'm in the mood for a little more experimentation after the happy surprise of last week's Pumpkin Pie Bars.

We live in a harried world and there are few of us who don't look for ways to make our lives easier. I decided that it would be a great contribution to mankind if I could come up with a way to make lunch-time easier. If successful, I may even be nominated for the Nobel Prize. Housewives across America would cheer at the sound of my name. My children would sing my praises in a chorus of joyous voices.... Okay, well, I think it's safe to say I would win the Nobel Prize long before my children would raise their voices in perfect harmony, but a girl can dream can't she? 

So for your enjoyment, the following is a bit of culinary experimentation. A new designer lunch bag staple. It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time, fueling the youth of America.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread

Basic Bread recipe adapted from Electric Bread

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water

• 3 cups bread flour

• 2 tbs sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature

• 2 eggs

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast

Filling

• peanut butter

• jelly of your choice

Directions:

Using a bread machine, combine all ingredients and set on dough cycle. When dough is ready, turn out onto floured surface, punch down and divide into two. The dough will be extremely sticky, so flour hands and rolling pin well.  

Using the rolling pin, roll out until approximately 9 x 13. Spread one section liberally with the jelly of your choice. Spread other section with peanut butter***.

Stack jelly-dough layer on top of peanut butter-dough layer and roll up (9 inch side). Tuck under ends and place into greased loaf pan. Allow dough to double in a warm place for about an hour.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cool. Slice. Serve

*** A few tips:

1. Use yeast at room temperature for better results.

2. Make sure your yeast is fresh.

3. Trying to spread peanut butter onto sticky dough was a bit of an exercise in frustration. I ultimately spread a layer of peanut butter onto tin foil (you can use wax paper too) and put into the freezer until firm and set. Place the peanut butter face down onto the dough and peeled off the foil. This is much easier than arguing with the dough.