Food’s most famous duo is hailed today for National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! The delicious sweet and savory sandwich has been gracing lunchboxes for generations, but it has drastically evolved into diverse variations from its classic peanut butter, jelly and white bread roots.
Today, you can find versions of the PB&J in fine restaurants across the country, including eateries that specialize in serving up the American classic in modern forms.
It’s a comfort food that transports us back to childhood, but there’s no reason you can’t celebrate this national holiday as a grown-up. We’ve included a roundup of recipes that cater to a more mature palate, but still channel that combination we’ll forever love: peanut butter and jelly.
For those who favor sweet….
Pb & J Sandwich with ice cream (via Epicurious)
- 10 large eggs
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 loaf brioche bread- double thick cut into 12 slices
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 scoops banana ice cream
- 1 cup chocolate syrup
- 1 pint strawberries
- 6 cherries
- 1 pint whipped cream
Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs together and set aside.
Make sandwiches using bread, peanut butter and jam and soak in above mixture for 30 minutes. Turn the sandwiches over after 15 minutes to allow for even absorbtion of the cream mixture. Take 1 tablespoon of butter and add to hot skillet. When butter is melted add one sandwich. Sauté for 5 minutes on each side. Repeat with rest of sandwiches. Take all sandwiches and place in oven for 5 minutes.
Place a sandwich on a plate and top with one scoop of ice cream, and dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle chocolate sauce around plate and places strawberries and cherry on top.
PB & J Crepes (via Betty Crocker)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Pinch salt
- Creamy peanut butter
- Jam (your favorite flavor!)
In blender, place egg, milk, flour, olive oil and salt. Cover; blend on medium speed 10 seconds, stopping blender frequently to scrape sides, until smooth. Place covered blender container with batter into refrigerator 30 minutes to chill batter.
When batter is chilled, spray 6 to 8-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. For each crepe, pour 3 tablespoons batter into skillet. Immediately rotate skillet until thin layer of batter covers bottom. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, 1/2 to 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying skillet as needed. Remove cooked crepes to wooden cutting board.Continue until all the batter has been used.
Finally, spread a layer of peanut butter down the center of each crepe. Add a line of jam next to it. Fold the crepe. Serve immediately.
For those who favor savory….
Peanut Butter and Jelly Foie Gras
Almond Butter
- 3 cups unsalted blanched almonds
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
- 2 teaspoons fleur de sel or kosher salt
- Grape Jelly
- 4 cups Concord black grapes
- 2 cups sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Duck Foie Gras
- 8 slices/500 g grade A duck foie gras
- 4 slices brioche bread
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the almond butter:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together the almonds, honey, canola oil and hazelnut oil. Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and toast in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly caramelized, watching them closely and stirring halfway through if necessary. Let cool for 1 minute. Cook’s Note: Cool no longer than 1 minute, as the almonds will cool and harden, which makes getting them off the paper very difficult!
In a food processor, add 3/4 of the roasted almonds. Process on high speed for 5 minutes or until you have the desired consistency. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and process again to the desired smoothness. Add a few drops of oil if it’s too thick. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. With a knife, chop the remaining almonds and keep aside to use as a garnish.
For the grape jelly:
Rinse the grapes and put them in a big pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring often, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Skim the surface regularly to ensure a clear jam.
Let it cool for 1 hour. Pour the mixture in a clean jar and reserve in the refrigerator. Grape jelly will keep for a week.
For the duck foie gras:
Season the foie gras with salt and pepper.
In a pan on medium heat, saute the foie gras 20 seconds on each side or just until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside in a warm place. Add the brioche bread to the pan to soak up the remaining juices and duck fat and lightly toast on each side, about 2 minutes in total.
When ready to plate, spread the almond butter on a slice of bread, cover with a slice of foie gras. Garnish with the grape jelly and the reserved crushed almonds.
Grilled Bacon Apple Sandwich
- 6 slices maple-cured bacon
- 5 tablespoons peanut butter
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 5 tablespoons apricot jelly
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.
Spread the peanut butter onto two slices of bread; set aside. Spread the apricot jelly onto the remaining two slices of bread, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper to taste. Arrange half of the cooked bacon and half of the sliced apple onto each apricot jam-covered bread sliced. Top with the peanut butter smeared pieces of bread.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the butter over the outside of the sandwiches and place into the preheated skillet. Cook until golden brown and crispy, then turn the sandwiches over, and continue cooking until golden brown on the other side, about 4 minutes per side.
