Peanut Butter & Jelly Scones

I seriously love peanut butter and jelly. It's just one of those foods that I could eat at any time on any day. Since I was a kid, I have loved it, and I still always have supplies to make PB&Js at my house. So, when I stumbled across this recipe online, I knew I had to make it. The only problem was the peanut butter chips. As a die hard Trader Joe's shopper (since I have become an east coast resident), I am slightly restricted to what they carry. Normally it's not an issue at all, but I had to wait until I made a trip to Target to get the peanut butter chips for this. Thank goodness I also ran out of laundry detergent last week. 

I love it when other people enjoy my baked goods as much as I enjoy baking them. My best friend lives in New York and is an amazing hair dresser- she is the only one who has touched my hair in years and she does a fabulous job. I have arguably the most important interview of my life this upcoming week, for entrance to medical school. So, I convinced her to come to Philly on her day off and do my hair for my interview (I was really worried about my roots because everything has to be perfect!). 

I have been weirdly crazy busy lately between traveling for my part-time job, fitness instructor training at the barre studio, and preparing for this massive interview. It would have been really hard for me to make it to NYC, so I wanted to make it worth her while to come here instead. So, I baked these scones and brought them to the bus station when I picked her up. Between her, her roommate that she brought along, me, and both the boys, these scones were gone in a matter of two days! 

Even though our time was limited, we had a ton of fun while she was here. We made lentil sloppy joes, went to a drag show, and happy hour bar hopped a bit, as well as getting my hair to the perfect platinum before she had to head back to the big apple. I have been wanting to find this Kurt Vile mural since this summer, and we stumbled upon it during sunset under the el in fishtown on Friday night, which was sort of magical. 

It has been ridiculously nice here this weekend, especially compared to all the freezing weather that we were getting. By ridiculously nice, I mean above 50 degrees. Balmy. Tropical. However, I have heard rumors about a new snowstorm coming in on Tuesday, and so I must soak up all the sun I can before then! I rode my bike to brunch with the boys yesterday (!!!) and today I am going on a long run. I have already booked my evening with an old friend, so I don't know how many miles I can squeeze in, but I need to do at least six. My half marathon is in about five weeks and the only training I have been doing is cross-training. Eeeek! But, while I finish my coffee, here is the scone recipe you have been waiting for: 

Peanut Butter & Jelly Scones

makes 16 scones 

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

3/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup peanut butter chips

4 Tbsp raspberry jam

2 Tbsp butter, melted for brushing on top 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

3. Add the cold butter cubes and mix with your fingers, smashing the cubes and pinching the larger clumps until the mixture is coarse and the consistency of sand. (This may take a few minutes)

4. Stir in the buttermilk until just moistened, and then add the peanut butter chips, stirring until combined. 

5. Lightly flour a clean countertop and dump out the dough in one ball.

6. Divide into four equal portions and form each portion into a roughly 7 inch diameter round.

7. Spoon 2 Tbsp of jam onto one round and spread it around. Place another round directly on top of that one and slightly seal in the edges.

8. Repeat step 7 with the other two dough rounds.

9. Brush the tops of both two-layer rounds with butter and lightly sprinkle with additional granulated sugar. 

10. Cut each circle into 8 equal wedges (like a pizza) and place them on the prepared sheets.

11. Bake for 13-17 minutes, until just lightly browned, but cooked thoroughly. 

recipe adapted from Erica's Sweet Tooth