Back to School PB J Muffins

Today I woke up a school bus screech and kids yelling. Yup, it's that time of year again already, Cool School time. I totally forgot about it, mostly because I've been going to school year round for the last couple of years :)

But anyways, if I counted the amount of peanut butter and jam sandwiches I've had throughout the years, it would be well into the thousands. It was such an easy, "throw together as you hear the bus pull up" lunch, and I had one EVERY single day growing up. We didn't really do lunch meat at my house, so it was either PB&J or maybe a fluffenutter to break up any monotomy. If I stacked all those sandwiches end on end, they would probably reach and hit the Hubble telescope.

So yes, I love peanut butter and jam. I think it was ingrained into my brain at such an early age, that it's something I will carry with me forever. So comforting, and so delicious. One of my favorite parts is the interchanability of the jam flavors. You can do traditional grape or strawberry, but maybe one day you want to live on the edge, and go with like orange, or gooseberry, or pomegra-something. It's all up to you, and no sandwich is the same.

Today I pay a tribute to my childhood lunch friend, who has been there with me through football games, show and tell, learning cursive, long division, and multiplication tables. :)

But I'm doing it in one of my favorite forms... the muffin form. We're going to rock and roll with Jam Filled Peanut Butter Muffins... put one of these in the kids lunch boxes, and they will be in for an awesome surprise.
Peanut Butter and Jam Muffins
Recipe by Adam
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-3/4 cup AP flour
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 cup lowfat or skim milk
-1 egg, slightly beaten
-2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
-1 tsp vanilla
-1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter
-Jams of your choice

Preheat oven to 400*, center your rack and get your 12 cup muffin pan ready, either lined with muffin cups, or sprayed with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

In a medium bowl, add the milk, peanut butter, melted butter, vanilla, and beaten egg together, and mix until it comes together. (The peanut butter won't totally mix in, but that's ok).

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the milk mixture all at once. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the dry and wet "groups" together for about 10 seconds or like 20 "go arounds" or "turns" as I call them. Do not overmix, and remember, we want lumps. Yes we do. Don't worry all will be ok in muffin land.

Pour the muffin batter into the muffin cups so they are about 1/2 full, so you have about a 1/3 or so of the batter left over. Then drop heaping teaspoonfuls of your favorite jam into the center of the muffin batter. Proceed to cover the jam with more muffin batter, and smooth the batter over to make sure the jam is covered up completely. Bake in your preheated over for about 12-15 minutes, and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
I really dug this muffins. My room mate told me it has a peanut butter flavor, without the "smack in your face" peanut flavor. For those of you who don't speak his language, he's just saying the flavor is there, but not like really peanutbutter cookie strong. I like them like that, and the fact that they aren't too sweet too, because the jam sweetens them up. Oh, and in case your wondering, I went with cranberry jam for half of them, and apple for the other half. I think I'm entering Fall mode, and going with Fall flavors. If you have PB&J, what is your J flavor of choice?

Comments

LizNoVeggieGirl said…
I'd LOVE to take a dozen of those muffins to classes with me ;0)
Snooky doodle said…
hmm I love peanut butter and these look really good. I ve just given you an award please pass by my blog to collect it.
Pam said…
Nicely done Adam. My kids would love these (so would I). I just made a batch of strawberry freezer jam and it would be so good in these muffins. Great recipe!
Gloria Baker said…
Adam really I think your muffins look delicious!! eeey! I made your cookies the other day, so yummy, the childs love them!xGloria
Antonio Tahhan said…
can you believe I still remember the day I DISCOVERED peanut butter & jelly? We moved to the States from Venezuela when I was four and my family had never heard of that sweet & salty concoction. Then one day I was over at my friend's house and his mom brought out P&J on crackers for a snack - I've been addicted ever since. I remember I kept asking for more (I was quite the eater back then... still am, haha). That's my little story : ) good times!
The muffins look amazing!
Steph said…
The texture of your muffins look great and only 2 tablespoons of butter! That's why I love peanut butter muffins because they replace so much of the fat with a somewhat better fat. It's also the only way I can eat peanut butter and jam together. It's weird, but I don't like how they mix in a sandwich. The fluffenutter on the other hand is something I can't wait to try and I admit, didn't know what it was until wikipedia. By the way.. I would go with black current jam.

How does it feel to be not going back to school for the first time?
Natalie Que said…
Is there no end to your madness?! {Or brilliantness} -What a great idea to change an old 'classic' into a muffin! And YES, we must have been switched at birth because I love PB and JAM too -not Jelly, JAM!

You're hilarious, I love reading your comments on my blog. I wish you really were my long lost brother! Let's just pretend, okay?

Good luck with school, you are so hard-core to go year round so many years in row {you didn't specify how many, but anything in multiples is too many for me!}
Astra Libris said…
Adam, these muffins are the best idea ever!! You are a genius! I take a PB and raisin or PB and jam sandwich to class/clinicals every day... :-) *PB high five* (well, not literally, as that would be sticky, but you get the idea :-) I'm going to bake your incredible recipe this weekend - I can't wait! Thank you for the gorgeous recipe!
Emily said…
I love pb&j. We didn't really do lunch meat either.

Now I'm into blackberry jam. It's the new grape jelly.

The muffins look great and I want one.
Dee said…
I love the jam surprises tucked into your PB yummies! But this Malaysian wants to know what a fluffenutter is?
So much you can do with the old classic PB&J. Love these muffins, love that little surprise in the middle. I could easily eat a few of these with my morning java.
Adam, thanks so much for visiting my blog. I'm glad you liked the review. I have published 2 cookbooks. One is listed on the Mexican American Border blog site and the other on the chocolate blog.

I like your cupcakes. I'm a sucker for cookies and cupcakes. Ergo...my size. Site looks great. Way to go kiddo.
Elle said…
Adam, great twist on an old classic! They look so good, and with whole wheat flour, even better for the kids! Even if we don't tell them. ;)
Maria said…
PB and J..such a classic! I love the looks of these muffins! Thanks for visiting our blog. Yours is great!
I love a good PB&J sandwich, so I'm on board with these. Just reading the recipe made me crave one.

Grrr...my busy season is starting and I have way less time to bake.
Thistlemoon said…
WOW! Nice muffins there, Adam! I love them! PB&J never goes out of style! :)
Clumbsy Cookie said…
All my life I had 1/2 a Pb&J sandwich! In Portugal we don't really do much pb, my lunches were allways things that we had to eat with a knife and fork.
But now I wanna go back to school and have Pb&J in muffin form! Your healthy version of recipes are allways nice bubby jam head!
test it comm said…
I remember having these when I was a kid! It has been too long since I last had them. They look great!
giz said…
I made these not that long ago and they lasted for about....gone...that long. The trick is to make 3 batches and freeze them.
Good muffins. My kids (and their friends) will love them. I could use one now as I am watching the Giants :)
Christine said…
Those sound incredible. Send some my way, please!

Great job with the eclairs, too.
Unknown said…
this is just perfect for a rush breakfast... :)
Chibog in Chief said…
oh adam you hit me straight with this muffin! Peanut butter and Jam very clever and creative! too bad weren't neighbors heih..? :-) or i'll squat there as soon as smell goodies like this!

btw, i love your photo!!
Anonymous said…
I want some pomegra-sumthin. I hear it's a bit messy to eat, though :)
Lore said…
I swear I'll go back to school tomorrow if you'll pack me a dozen of these for lunch. Deal? :D
Ann said…
Oh, these are perfectly naughty, BRAVO.

Thanks for stoppin' by. How totally cool to "meet" a fellow food blogger who is also a fellow nutrition/fitness nutball! Rarity, dontcha think?
Unknown said…
Can I have one even if I don't have a lunch box anymore? Maybe I'll get one, just in case :)
hungryandfrozen said…
Hee, "pomegra-something."

I always think of Peanut butter and jam as being a particularly American thing, not something I enjoy in a sandwich but...looks delicious in muffin form :D
Yum! I love the way the tops look :)
Anonymous said…
back again! good to read ur material. the last time i read (prior to me taking a break from f/t blogging) i mentally jotted all the info you gave on burning calories, and trying to lose weight. I've not fully implemented the info, but i'm surely trying...
Anonymous said…
What about sending me a dozen of those in exchange for my sister's phone number? Whattya think? huh!?

I'm evil i know.. muargharghargh. :-)
Anonymous said…
I've never liked PB&J - I could only do it if it was separate - but my kids LOVE them!

I'll have to make a batch of these over the weekend - thanks!