Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

My little guy is having his ThanKsGiviNg fEast at preschool next week...really, it's gonna be quite the feast!  His teacher is so fun and creative and has come up with the idea of having each kid bring a taste of one of their favorite dishes for everyone to share with their friends.  Then they'll all sit down to their own special tHanKsgiViNg feAsT.  She's also going to have a recipe book made up of all the goodies to give to each kid.  SO fUN!

So I was dying to ask my little guy what his favorite dish that mommy makes was, until...he came back with,"Peanut Butter and Jelly!"  Oh, great!  PB&J.  And he was not about to back down, he wanted to share Mom's delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with everyone.  Really I can't blame the kid...I'm no cook that's for sure, but I thought we should at least come prepared with something that actually had a recipe.  So we compromised and came up with Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins.  He still gets a PB&J (essentially) and I get to fill like I'm actually fulfilling my duty as the mother.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Ingredients:

• No-Stick cooking spray
• 2 cups All Purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup Creamy Natural peanut butter, stirred, OR 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/3 cup Pure vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Seedless strawberry jam OR strawberry preserves
• 1/4 cup sugar


How to make it:

• HEAT oven to 375ºF. Spray muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk, eggs, 2/3 cup sugar, peanut butter and oil to bowl. Combine ingredients on low speed of electric mixer, just until moistened. Do not over beat.

• FILL prepared muffin cups evenly with half of the batter. Place 2 level teaspoons jam or preserves in the center of each muffin. Evenly divide remaining batter between muffin cups. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pan 5 minutes.