PB&J Blondies

A year ago I have bought my first jar of peanut butter. Ever. No joke. Peanut butter is not the common, everyday spread in Slovenia. We eat a lot of butter and jam, Nutella and Liverwurst, but no peanut butter. I have to admit I wasn't hooked when I first tried a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, but I can't get enough of it nowadays. I like to use PB in cookies and desserts and these Blondies are like a PB&J sandwich in Blondie form. The recipe is from Averie's blog.

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 to 1/3 cup jelly (strawberry, grape, raspberry, cherry)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 60 seconds. To the melted butter, add 1/4 cup peanut butter and heat for 30 to 45 seconds to soften the peanut butter. Stir until  the melted butter-peanut butter mixture is smooth and combined. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the egg, vanilla, and stir to combine. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula or offset knife if necessary.

To the top of the batter, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup peanut butter, dolloped out in 4 or 5 tablespoon-sized mounds. Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup jelly, dolloped out in 4 or 5 tablespoon-sized mounds. Using a knife, marble the peanut butter and jelly in a zig-zag pattern until peanut butter and jelly is dispersed and marbled. Bake for 22 to 27 minutes, or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan, center is set and golden, and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 45 minutes before slicing and serving.