PB&J Muffins

Peanut butter and jelly. A classic combination!

I'll confess right here and now that I am a peanut butter fanatic. I love peanut butter with chocolate or on a sandwich, spread on apple slices or right out of the jar.

But this weekend I had to make something for breakfast. Geez, these people...always hungry!

So I went for the tried and true PB&J in muffin form.

And, yeah, it was soooo worth it! These muffins have just enough peanut butter in them and are not too sweet. The sweetness comes from the jelly and the streusel and the glaze, if you choose to use it.

I went with creamy peanut butter and my favorite Blueberry and Blackcurrant jam.

Blackcurrant is one of may favorite flavors. I like it best when you splash some blackcurrant juice into a pint of hard cider but, we're having breakfast here so I we'll talk about my favorite drinks with blackcurrant later!

You can use any jam or jelly you would like. Since mine is actually a preserve and has chunks of delicious fruit in it, I blitzed it in the food processor to smooth it out. This step is not necessary but my crew isn't crazy about fruit preserves - they want the smooth and sweet jelly that they get on their PB&J sandwiches!

Two bits of advice before you make these and they both have to do with the jam/jelly.

First, try to keep the jam/jelly in the middle of the muffin. If it touches the cupcake liner or the pan, it will stick. Not the end of the world but it's just easier to remove that way.

Second, normally I would recommend that you poke the top of a muffin with your finger and if it springs back, it's done. Well, don't do that with these muffins! I learned the hard way that jam or jelly that has been in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes is extremely hot! It is also extremely sticky so once the burning begins, it will continue until you manage to remove it from your finger!

I licked it off. And burned my tongue. But at least my finger felt better.

Plop in some jelly...

Swirl it around....

Top with yummy streusel!

At first, I wasn't going to add a glaze. I don't really like super sweet stuff for breakfast so I left it off. But my son thought it would be the perfect addition so I drizzled some on.

He was right. I was not. The glaze made these even better!  (Don't tell him I said that!)

These muffins really are simple to throw together. I think it took me about 10 - 12 minutes from start to finish to get them into the oven. Two more minutes to make the glaze and drizzle it on once they cooled and breakfast is served.

Plus, I feel like I can eat them for lunch too. That makes sense, right??

I mean, it's a classic PB&J in muffin form!!

PB&J Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-23 minutes

Total time: 30 to 35 minutes

Yield: 16 muffins

Ingredients

For the topping

• 113 grams unsalted butter, melted
• 150 grams all purpose flour
• 200 grams brown sugar
• 200 grams granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Muffins

• 240 grams all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy, your choice)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 220 grams brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 175 mL (¾ cup) whole milk, at room temperature
• ½ cup jam or jelly of your choice

For the Glaze

• 110 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 teaspoons whole milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Start with making the topping. Mix all topping ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, add the baking powder and salt to the flour. Whisk together to combine.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, vegetable oil and brown sugar for about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well after each addition.
5. Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix until all of the flour is mixed in. Add ½ of the milk and mix until incorporated. Add another ⅓ of the flour and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining milk and mix to incorporate. Add the last of the flour and mix for about 30 seconds.
6. Line a 24-hole muffin tin or 2 12-hole muffin pans with cupcake liners or spray with cooking spray very well. I usually spray the inside of the paper liners as well when I use them!
7. Divide the batter to make about 16 muffins.
8. Put about 1 teaspoon of the jelly or jam on top of the muffin batter. Using a toothpick, swirl the jelly into the batter. Try to be careful to keep the jelly away from the sides. It will stick to the pan and/or the liners.
9. Sprinkle about ¼ cup streusel on top of each muffin and lightly press into the batter.
10. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean ( except for maybe some jam! As long as there is no batter on the toothpick!)
11. Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.
12. Enjoy!

**I am going to recommend here that you do not press on the top of the muffin to see if it is done. Normally, if it bounces back, it’s done. But the jelly is EXTREMELY HOT! If you press to check for doneness and you get jelly on your finger, it will burn!!