The way I see it.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes, AKA: Cooking With the Anal Retentive Chef

I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

There. I said it. 

I have no shame, either. I just don’t like jelly or preserves at all. The idea of some gelatinous, sticky, sugary sweet crap all over a creamy, perfect blend of sweet and salty seems ludicrous to me.

So, why would I try to create a peanut butter and jelly cupcake? For the hubs, of course. He thinks peanut butter and jelly is a brilliant combination (like most “normal” people do, I guess).

Now, I may not know PB&J all that well, but I do know peanut butter sandwiches. Those I love. I have always loved them. It was one of the few things I would eat when I was a kid. My first batch of these cupcakes actually came out a bit more like a peanut butter sandwich—I was a bit shy with the preserve filling, but they were delicious! So, if you want a true PB&J cupcake, be bold and add as much preserves as you can muster for the full effect.

I must, however, add a word of warning: These cupcakes are a bit labor-intensive. 

That said, I tend to be a lot like Phil Hartman’s Saturday Night Live character, The Anal-Retentive Chef, when I’m in the kitchen, so these took me a while. The batter is thick and creamy rather than the consistency of cake batter. I’m used to just pouring my batter in the cups and popping the delicious goodness in the oven. But, that is not the case with these. 

I painstakingly divided the batter into the cups, making sure they were only 1/3 of they way full, smoothed them with an angled spatula, carefully added preserves, then nervously and gently added the rest of the batter on top, and smoothed the whole thing again with the spatula—steps that I’m sure are completely unnecessary. So, if you are not a total lunatic, it is unlikely that it will take you an entire hour to get cupcake batter from the bowl to the oven.

Still, the consistency of the batter and the added step of placing the preserves in the cups does add a bit more work than a traditional cupcake. The result is well worth it though. The cake is moist and rich, but not as sweet as a vanilla cake so it makes a great foundation for the preserves. 

And, don’t get me started on the frosting! It is so good, it hurts.

I licked the bowl, I licked the rubber spatula, and I licked the mixer’s beaters. When I was finished decorating the cupcakes, I licked the inside of the pastry bag, and yes, I sucked frosting out of the pastry bag tips. 

Don’t judge. Mommie loves her frosting.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes (adapted from recipes found on Ming Makes Cupcakes)

Makes 10

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