Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Hand Pies

You know those Uncrustables?  The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the go?  

Well I used to be completely obsessed with them… like eat them every day at least once obsessed.

So when I had leftover pie crust from my Banana Cream Pie, I thought “Why not fill it with peanut butter and jelly”  And then I did it.  And they came out super yummy… the dough was rolled really thin so it was flaky and and I loved that the peanut butter and jelly melted and oozed out of the sides of the ‘hand pies’.  My only complaint is that I couldn’t fit enough filling in them, but other than that, great!

P.S.:

Holy Moly!!

I just want to say a huge thank you to whoever referred my blog to StumbleUpon yesterday because I’ve never had so many page views in one day! You made my day! 🙂 So thank you, these are for you!

What was your favorite snack as a kid? 

Mini Peanut Butter and Jelly Hand Pies

Ingredients:
1 serving of your favorite pie crust, unbaked
1/4 cup peanut butter, smooth
1/4 cup jelly
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon egg whites

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  Roll out dough as thin as you can get it without tearing, or as thick as you want it.
3.  Using a round cookie cutter, cut circles out of your dough.
4.  Fill each circle with 1 teaspoon peanut butter and 1 teaspoon jelly.  Fold in half and pinch off the edges.
5.  Brush each folded hand pie with egg whites and sprinkle with sugar.
6.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to slightly turn brown.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Hi all!

Let me tell you about this crazy rest of the summer I have.

Friday morning, my sister, nieces and I leave around 6 for a 10-11 hour drive to Chicago for a family get-together sort of thing.

Sunday morning, I drive back home with my parents so I can be dropped off with Kellen because…

Monday morning, Kellen and I leave for Portland with his family because his brother is getting married!

The following Monday night, we fly out of Portland to come home.

Friday and Saturday (Aug. 5th and 6th), Kellen and I are going to KanRocksas (my birthday present to him).

Thursday (Aug. 11th) I leave for school.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m stressing out a little bit.  I tend to do that…

Anyway, I decided I should probably bake something for the looonnng drive to Chicago, so I made peanut butter and jelly bars.  Since I’m not eating sweets this week, (Thank God for this.) the taste tester (dad) grade: A. I’m starting to think he might be biased.  Also, he doesn’t give details.  All I got out of him was a muffled “mm good” while he still had food in his mouth.  I’ll take it.

Peanuut Butter and Jelly Bars
barely adapted from: First Look, Then Cook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Line an 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl.
4. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low-speed until smooth.
5. Add flour mixture; beat on low-speed just to blend.
6. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes.
7. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer.
8. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer.
9. Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
10. Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares.

I only have 1 guest poster for the whole time I’ll be gone (thanks, Gen!!), so if anyone else would like to volunteer I would really, REALLY appreciate it! Please… pretty please!  It can even be something you’ve already written/posted. 

What are/have you all done this summer? When I was younger, the only traveling my family ever did was to Branson, MO, so I’m taking full advantage of all of these opportunities!

Taste of Home: Guy Klinzing {Lemon Jelly Roll}

Yesterday I got to live a day in the life of my dream job.

Guy Klinzing, an amazing chef with a great sense of humor, came to conduct the Taste of Home Cooking Show in my hometown last night.  I got to do all the behind the scenes work and it was suh-weeet.

Guy is from Chicago and not only does he work with the Taste of Home, he’s also an actor, singer, father, and puts on a hell of a cooking show!  If you get a chance to go watch him, please do!  As he says, he’ll “do anything to keep an audience from getting bored,” and I can attest to that.  He’s a very silly guy.

I learned so much from Guy yesterday.  The whole morning was spent prepping recipes for the evening and it went by so quickly.  We prepped 10 recipes that Guy showed the audience how to prepare later that night.  After helping with that, I really want to do it as a career.  I think it would be so fun to meet new people and share with them something I’m passionate about.  Plus, the days go by so quickly.  Buuut, that’s just me dreamin’!

“Guy Fieri” was there, too… haha!

Although Guy gave us many delicious recipes, the one that I was most partial to was the Lemon Jelly Roll (plus it’s the one I helped make).  I do NOT know how to work with egg whites.  Seriously… I’ve tried recipe after recipe with egg whites and they’ve all been failures.  Guy taught me yesterday to freeze your bowl first and use warm egg whites.  You can imagine how excited I was yesterday when, on my first attempt, the egg whites formed soft peaks.  He also said that if your egg whites aren’t forming right, just add a little bit of cream of tartar.  See, I told you I learned a lot!!  This cake was aweeesommmee!!  So light and fluffy and the lemon flavor was perfect.  Definitely a spring/summer recipe.

Lemon Jelly Roll
Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 9 egg whites
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 
  FILLING:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• Yellow food coloring, optional
• Additional confectioners’ sugar

Directions

• Place the egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; lightly coat paper with cooking spray and set aside.
• Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in flour, about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat. Gently stir in lemon juice, peel and food coloring if desired. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
• Unroll cake; spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar. Yield: 10 servings.

P.s. Go enter this rockin’ giveaway for a free bikini!! It’s so cute!!

Taste of Home: Guy Klinzing {Lemon Jelly Roll}

Yesterday I got to live a day in the life of my dream job.

Guy Klinzing, an amazing chef with a great sense of humor, came to conduct the Taste of Home Cooking Show in my hometown last night.  I got to do all the behind the scenes work and it was suh-weeet.

Guy is from Chicago and not only does he work with the Taste of Home, he’s also an actor, singer, father, and puts on a hell of a cooking show!  If you get a chance to go watch him, please do!  As he says, he’ll “do anything to keep an audience from getting bored,” and I can attest to that.  He’s a very silly guy.

I learned so much from Guy yesterday.  The whole morning was spent prepping recipes for the evening and it went by so quickly.  We prepped 10 recipes that Guy showed the audience how to prepare later that night.  After helping with that, I really want to do it as a career.  I think it would be so fun to meet new people and share with them something I’m passionate about.  Plus, the days go by so quickly.  Buuut, that’s just me dreamin’!

“Guy Fieri” was there, too… haha!

Although Guy gave us many delicious recipes, the one that I was most partial to was the Lemon Jelly Roll (plus it’s the one I helped make).  I do NOT know how to work with egg whites.  Seriously… I’ve tried recipe after recipe with egg whites and they’ve all been failures.  Guy taught me yesterday to freeze your bowl first and use warm egg whites.  You can imagine how excited I was yesterday when, on my first attempt, the egg whites formed soft peaks.  He also said that if your egg whites aren’t forming right, just add a little bit of cream of tartar.  See, I told you I learned a lot!!  This cake was aweeesommmee!!  So light and fluffy and the lemon flavor was perfect.  Definitely a spring/summer recipe.

Lemon Jelly Roll
Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 9 egg whites
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 
  FILLING:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• Yellow food coloring, optional
• Additional confectioners’ sugar

Directions

• Place the egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; lightly coat paper with cooking spray and set aside.
• Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in flour, about 1/4 cup at a time.
• Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.
• Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
• Remove from the heat. Gently stir in lemon juice, peel and food coloring if desired. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
• Unroll cake; spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar. Yield: 10 servings.

P.s. Go enter this rockin’ giveaway for a free bikini!! It’s so cute!!