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National PB&J Day with PB&J No Bake Thumbprint Cookies

There is nothing quite like a good ol’ peanut butter and jelly sandwich to fill the belly and warm the soul of many children (and adults). While there are many ways to eat a PB&J sandwich, my kids like it best the traditional way – two slices of bread with a layer of peanut butter and a layer of jelly in the middle. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a longtime lunch favorite for children across America. This coming Tuesday, April 2nd, is National PB&J Day, so I thought I’d give you a little sandwich history.

According to wikipedia, peanut butter began as a delicacy in the early 1900s. After pairing the item with many other ingredients, it was in 1901 that Julia Davis Chandler announced the pairing of peanut butter and jelly on bread. The yummy sandwich then worked it’s way down the class structure and became a popular lunchtime meal among children. Then during World War II, peanut butter and jelly were found on U.S. soldiers’ military ration list, which I find fascinating! It is believed that the average child will have consumed 2,500 PB&J sandwiches by the time they finish high school! Unbelievable right? It really is a beloved sandwich.

PB&J Sandwiches are a go-to lunch item for my family. I recently tried Welch’s Natural Spreads and I love them! They contain no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, and no preservatives! We’ve got them in grape and strawberry (my favorite). I love that they have come out with a more natural version of their delicious jellies. My dad will often make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after work if he and my mom had a big lunch. It’s just the right amount of food to tide him over for the night.
PB&J No Bake Thumbprint Cookies

I decided to take peanut butter and jelly and see if I could come up with another fun way to eat them together. I found these Peanut Butter and Jelly No Bake Thumbprint Cookies on Cooks.com, and just had to give them a try. I mean,  they have popcorn in them! I couldn’t find any pictures of them so I was very curious to see how they’d turn out. They are almost like a caramel popcorn ball with jam, but even better because they’ve got peanut butter in them too! YUM! You can find the recipe at the bottom of this post.

In honor of PB&J Day, Welch’s is running a Facebook contest “PB&J Your Way”. Tell them your creative spin on the classic sandwich for a chance to win $500 and a one year supply of Grape Jelly, plus 50 people will win a sandwich keeper!

When peanut butter was first paired with other foods, they actually tried it with pimento, cheese, watercress, and others. Um, pimento – really? My dad grew up eating peanut butter on bread with mayonaise. ICK! I have to say that pairing peanut butter with jelly is by far my favorite pairing!

While my kids like their PB&J the classic way, they do like me to cut the crusts off by using a cookie cutter. Then they’ve got a cute shaped sandwich to eat! You can watch my oldest son making his own PB&J, above. I love that he’s old enough to make his own sandwich!
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peanut butter popcorn
pbj no bake cookies

5.0 from 1 reviews
PB&J No Bake Thumbprint Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 18
 
Ingredients
  • 8 cups popped popcorn
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 Tbs jam or jelly
Instructions
  1. Bring corn syrup to a boil in a large pot. Boil for 3 minutes.
  2. Remove pot from heat and stir in peanut butter. Quickly add popcorn and stir until completely coated.
  3. Allow popcorn to cool for 10 minutes before rolling into 2" balls.
  4. Press thumb into center of ball and fill with jelly.
  5. Store in an airtight container.

 

 

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Welch’s. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

About the author

Emily Buys

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