The Best Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a childhood favorite of most adults and is a basic sack lunch staple. I actually did research and discovered that there was an authentic recipe created for making the delicious sandwich. Read this excerpt from the article I found.

"The first known recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich was published in 1901 in The Boston Cooking School Magazine of Culinary Science and Domestic Economics. The author suggested pairing peanut butter with crab apple or currant jelly, which was unusual for the time. Peanut butter, which was considered a delicacy, was usually served as a savory food. New York’s Vanity Fair Tea-Room served its peanut butter with watercress while Ye Olde English Coffee House had a peanut butter and pimento sandwich on the menu."   Follow this link to read more of this interesting article("http://www.gilttaste.com/stories") .

I have always been a fan of the PB&J sandwich, but recently I have developed a real devotion to it. You see, at the school where I work they are on the cafeteria menu everyday and I have sampled them on more than one occasion and hence the fond attachment that has grown for a thrice weekly fix. If I don't choose one for my lunch, I will get one to take home with me for a mid-afternoon snack on the drive home. The attendant that makes these must have a magic touch because everyone who treats themselves to one of these creations sighs in closed-eye contentment at the memory of eating it.

Now, there are open discussions on several ways to decide what makes a PB&J sandwich truly a masterpiece. Things like which bread to use (whole wheat or white) , which type of jelly to use (strawberry or grape), the ratio of peanut butter to jelly, remove the crust or leave it, spread the peanut butter and jelly on separate slices of bread and then bring them together...or to spread the peanut butter first and then spread the jelly (which is how I have always made mine). Who would have seriously considered that there was a real art to making these sandwiches?

That art can extend to using cookie cutters to make cute shapes out of a finished sandwich and toasting the bread first and spreading the peanut butter on warm which will allow it to ooze nicely out of the sides of the sandwich once its been built.

Last but not least is a second part of the discussion is the debate over the best beverage to enjoy with the sandwich. A cold glass of milk will more than likely win this debate hands down, but actually some people prefer a cold drink and some will even opt for a hot cup of coffee. To each his own! You might find the article mentioned above quite interesting; especially if you already are a PB&J fan. And probably by the time you finish reading this blog...you'll be hungry for one and on your way to the kitchen cupboard to check for ingredients.

Enjoy!