I have been blogging for seven years. Please don’t ask me how it has been that long; I genuinely do not know. The time has just gone, and each year when I reflect on my time blogging, I am basically baffled at how it has flown by.
Each year I post a pie like recipe for my blogiversary since … you know … the blog is Pies and Plots. This year, I am also super excited to tell you about Waitress the musical which is a great story that includes my favorite dessert. This show and I are a match made in baking heaven.
I bet there’s a good chance you saw the sleeper indie movie Waitress. Now it is a Broadway musical with women behind the production as well as on stage. This is a true girl power Broadway moment. The music was written by Sara Barellies. Fun fact: Love Song was one of the first songs I downloaded on iTunes when it was a free single of the week.
When it comes to the Broadway show Waitress, ShowTickets.com/Waitress sells discounted tickets so you don’t have to break the bank to see a fantastic and inspiring show that’s about a whole lot more than pie. It’s about love, loss, friendship, and okay, yeah, pie too.
I was so thrilled when they approached me to write about Waitress because I loved the movie and had just bought tickets to see the touring production when it arrives in Detroit in May. I wish ShowTickets.com/Waitress was in this area because Waitress is a seriously hot ticket. I had to purchase seats for a weeknight performance … I can’t remember ever having to do that before.
I am so excited to see the show and will be back in May with my thoughts on it. I just know I will love it. Before then I want to rewatch the movie … and of course bake some pie.
So these Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie Bars aren’t exactly pie in the traditional sense, but they have crust and crumb topping and a filling that will make your heart melt and your mouth water. It’s a recipe I have been wanting to make for a super long time and like so many of those recipes I finally find time to make, it was everything I hoped and more.
I chose a shortbread crust because it took a few steps out of the process and I liked the textural contrast I knew it would create. I didn’t mess too much with the PBJ filling and oatmeal topping because PBJ and oatmeal!
Make these bars. Go see Waitress using ShowTickets.com/Waitress. Have fun in life. Make friends. Take chances. Follow your heart.
Waitress the Musical Inspired Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie Bars + Blogiversary!
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Filling
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups jam or jelly (I did half blueberry and half cherry – use whatever!)
Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch pan.
- Make the crust. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar. Stir in the butter, oil, and vanilla until the dough comes together. Pour it into the prepared pan and press into the bottom and up the sides. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- While the crust bakes, make the filling. In a large bowl (I used the same one – just wipe it out), beat the butter, peanut butters, sugar, and vanilla until well combined and fluffy. I did this by hand but a hand mixer will make faster work out of it.
- In a medium bowl, make the topping. Stir together the flour, salt, cinnamon, pepper, sugar, and oatmeal. Work the butter in using a fork or your fingers until clumps form.
- After the crust has baked, pour the filling in and spread into an even layer. Top with the jam or jelly, followed by the topping. Return to the oven and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars and serving.
- Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They may also be frozen, wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature a couple hours.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Baked Explorations via Brown Eyed Baker
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
Disclaimer: I was compensated by ShowTickets.com for this post, but all opinions, as always, are mine. I am super excited to see Waitress!
Happy Blogiversary! Wow, seven years has flown by! Glad you’re celebrating with this wonderful pie — such a nice tradition. Looking forward to another seven years, and many, many more. 🙂
Unbelievable that it has been seven years!! Well, you have done a great job with it always trying to improve the blog and bring us your fantastic recipes. Thank you for your hard work and perseverance…… Here’s to many more years of entertaining us.
Congratulations on seven years of blogging, that is terrific. Speaking of terrific, so are those bars.
Thank you, Karen!