Peanut butter, jelly (pie) time

In life, plans inevitably change.

Case and point: Once upon a time, I said I wanted to have 100 kids.

I’ve since toned down that goal…

But, even on a smaller level, rare is it that my plans turn out as I had anticipated.

Case and point of that: The other day, I planned to divulge the details of my latest recipe.

However, after recounting my visit to a high school homecoming, my participation in a swing dance and my failed training run, I figured that you all were out of interest.

So, for the sake of all you lovely people, I decided to delay my recipe for another occasion when its awesomeness (and deliciousness) could be fully appreciated.

And, as a testament to how much faith I have in you all, I believe that time is now…

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie

Ingredients:

— Crust —

• 1 C whole-wheat flour
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C buttery spread, melted (can substitute butter)
• 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla soy milk (can substitute skim milk)
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t salt

— Filling —

• 1/2 C natural peanut butter
• 1/3 C powdered sugar
• 1 flax egg (can substitute whole egg)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/3 jam or jelly
• 1/4 C chopped peanuts, for garnish

Directions:

• For crust, mix together flours, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in melted butter and milk. Combine all together until crumbled. Press into the bottom of a greased pie pan. Poke with fork in multiple places for ventilation. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until slightly browned.
• While crust is baking, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, flax egg and vanilla in a separate bowl.
• When crust is done baking, cover with an even layer of jelly.
• Roll the peanut butter dough into a ball and flatten into an even circle. Top as much of the pie as possible with the circle of peanut butter dough. Slit three hole in the top of peanut butter dough.
• Bake in still-heated 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until cookie top is thoroughly baked.
• Remove, allow to cool fully and garnish with chopped peanuts.

As the ultimate test of this recipe, I actually prepared four separate pies last Friday as dessert for 50 scholarship hall boys.

I then used the scientific formula: (How quickly the boys devoured the pie) x (Time of day) / (Location of the sun) to determine the recipe’s success.

According to the results, the recipe was near perfect… And, I can’t argue with science, folks.

One thing I will concede is that the pie is rather dense, with thick layers of crust and peanut butter cookie.

However that isn’t a bad thing. It just means cutting smaller pieces and stretching the deliciousness out over a few more days…

Questions: How did your plans change throughout the course of today? What plans did you have when you were little that have since changed?

Usually my planning fails mean delaying school work, but it still gets done. When I was younger, I wanted to be Pocahontas when I grew up… But that’s another story for another time.