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A friend of mine recently told me about a dessert she had that she just couldn't get out of her mind. It was a molten chocolate lava cake. Okay, standard fare, I thought. One would be hard pressed to find a chocolate lover who didn't love those little steamy puddings. Not exactly my thing. When she saw my skepticism, she then clarified: the molten part wasn't typical bittersweet chocolate; it was gooey warm peanut butter. I swooned. This sounded really good. Why hadn't I thought of that?!
Turns out, the dish was served with a strawberry jam sauce and chocolate ice cream. Now that's more like it, I thought. Many people think that they can never go wrong with chocolate. I feel that way about peanut butter and jelly.
From the start, I've always loved the smooth kind--and always, always strawberry jam. I know there's also a large grape contingent out there. We're all entitled to our opinions. There was nothing as heavenly when I was a kid as shmears of Skippy and Smuckers smushed between two doughy pieces of Wonderbread with the crusts cut off.
My tastes have matured since those days, but I still crave that gooey sweet and salty American classic (Considered a savory item in many places throughout the world, people outside of the U.S. will look at you in horror at the mere thought of peanut butter and fruit or chocolate). And there are plenty of ways to "kick it up a notch," as that Rhode Island "cajun" says.
Let's start with the sandwich: use brioche or a hearty, thick sliced artisan bread. Slather on your favorite peanut butter and good quality jam or preserves on each slice. Heat up your cast iron and skillet while you throw your slices in the freezer for a few minutes. Spray the pan with non-stick spray or, better yet, melt some butter a la grilled cheese. Slap those frozen slices on the pan, cover with foil and put the heat on low for 5 minutes or until the undersides are grilled to your desired taste. Grilled peanut butter and jelly, oh yeah!
Another yummy treat is to make your favorite recipe of peanut butter cookies or peanut butter muffins and stuff or fill them with your preferred jam. Or do the reverse with gem cookies and peanut butter in the middle. Or chocolate chip cookie sandwiches with PB & J in the middle. Play around. The world is your pantry.
When I bake something with a peanut butter filling like those molten lava cakes, I don't like to use a straight peanut butter filling because it tends to get gritty in the oven. Mix peanut butter to taste with sweetened condensed milk; you'll be sure to get some really good gooiness.
Also, when baking with peanut butter, always use a commercial brand--not the ground peanut 'healthy for you' kind. As you know, I'm a big supporter of organic and locally made products, but in the case of peanut butter and baking, it just doesn't work well. The commercial brands have enough added fat and sugar to keep the peanut butter moist. And most recipes are designed to use them anyway.
Gee, it's almost lunchtime. Now I've got the fever. Must go make grilled peanut butter and jelly now! That's all folks!
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/146-peanut-butter-and-jelly/
PB & J: Not Just For the Lunchroom Anymore
A friend of mine recently told me about a dessert she had that she just couldn't get out of her mind. It was a molten chocolate lava cake. Okay, standard fare, I thought. One would be hard pressed to find a chocolate lover who didn't love those little steamy puddings. Not exactly my thing. When she saw my skepticism, she then clarified: the molten part wasn't typical bittersweet chocolate; it was gooey warm peanut butter. I swooned. This sounded really good. Why hadn't I thought of that?!
Turns out, the dish was served with a strawberry jam sauce and chocolate ice cream. Now that's more like it, I thought. Many people think that they can never go wrong with chocolate. I feel that way about peanut butter and jelly.
From the start, I've always loved the smooth kind--and always, always strawberry jam. I know there's also a large grape contingent out there. We're all entitled to our opinions. There was nothing as heavenly when I was a kid as shmears of Skippy and Smuckers smushed between two doughy pieces of Wonderbread with the crusts cut off.
My tastes have matured since those days, but I still crave that gooey sweet and salty American classic (Considered a savory item in many places throughout the world, people outside of the U.S. will look at you in horror at the mere thought of peanut butter and fruit or chocolate). And there are plenty of ways to "kick it up a notch," as that Rhode Island "cajun" says.
Let's start with the sandwich: use brioche or a hearty, thick sliced artisan bread. Slather on your favorite peanut butter and good quality jam or preserves on each slice. Heat up your cast iron and skillet while you throw your slices in the freezer for a few minutes. Spray the pan with non-stick spray or, better yet, melt some butter a la grilled cheese. Slap those frozen slices on the pan, cover with foil and put the heat on low for 5 minutes or until the undersides are grilled to your desired taste. Grilled peanut butter and jelly, oh yeah!
Another yummy treat is to make your favorite recipe of peanut butter cookies or peanut butter muffins and stuff or fill them with your preferred jam. Or do the reverse with gem cookies and peanut butter in the middle. Or chocolate chip cookie sandwiches with PB & J in the middle. Play around. The world is your pantry.
When I bake something with a peanut butter filling like those molten lava cakes, I don't like to use a straight peanut butter filling because it tends to get gritty in the oven. Mix peanut butter to taste with sweetened condensed milk; you'll be sure to get some really good gooiness.
Also, when baking with peanut butter, always use a commercial brand--not the ground peanut 'healthy for you' kind. As you know, I'm a big supporter of organic and locally made products, but in the case of peanut butter and baking, it just doesn't work well. The commercial brands have enough added fat and sugar to keep the peanut butter moist. And most recipes are designed to use them anyway.
Gee, it's almost lunchtime. Now I've got the fever. Must go make grilled peanut butter and jelly now! That's all folks!
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/146-peanut-butter-and-jelly/