Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumble Bars, an Allergic Reaction and a Giveaway

Have you heard?  There’s going to be a giveaway.  Guess you’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out more about that.

Okay. I admit it.  I like  love peanut butter.  The crunchier, the better for me.  At times, it’s my breakfast or my lunch or my dinner.  It may even show up in an afternoon pick-me-up snack.  One of my all-time favorite late night treats is extra crunchy on Ritz with homemade strawberry freezer jam. 

 

But I know that not everyone does…or can.  Our Perfect Boy is allergic to peanuts (a legume) and tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.).  He’s learned to handle it well as has his sister who is not allergic.  There are no nuts, peanuts or otherwise,  in his house, and when he is here, mine are packed away as well.

 

He was 18 months old and with me when he had his first reaction.  Not thinking, I let him lick some peanut butter off the end of my finger as I was fixing a snack.  It was immediate and it was scary.  He didn’t like the taste or texture – who knows?  His eyes began to water and redden.  Realizing what was  happening, I gave him a dose of ™Benadryl and called his parents.  Fortunately, very fortunately, he did not go into respiratory distress.

I cried.  He didn’t.

We stocked our homes and cars with ™ Epi-pens and began to very carefully read the labels of everything.  It was a real revelation for me.  During these past seven years labeling on food products, menus, etc. has improved, but it still has a way to go.  Food processing plants, in my opinion, must get to the point where they discontinue processing foods in the same locations as they process peanuts and nuts.  For some with allergic reactions to these, this is a life and death action.

I once had a student whose peanut allergy was so severe, we sanitized every desk he sat in and those around him before he came into the classroom.  He had a separate table in the cafeteria and only those students who were certified peanut free were permitted to sit there.  While being in the same room with nuts or peanuts does not seem to trigger a reaction in Perfect Boy,  we avoid taking that risk whenever we can.  His school doesn’t permit peanuts (among other well-known food allergens), not just because of him, but because of several others as well.  In fact, more and more, schools are not  permitting certain foodstuffs within their buildings.

You know, I just don’t remember being aware of these problems growing up.  What has changed that intensifies the problem?  Today we are dealing with lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, and a whole host of others.  How about you?  Do you have food allergies in your family?  How do you handle those?

Here is a valuable tool that serves me well:   Guide to Reading Food Labels 

While any food can cause an allergic reaction, 90% of most are due to:

• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Milk
• Eggs
• Wheat
• Soy
• Fish
• Shellfish

(Source:  FARE)

I found this article on the High Cost of Food Allergies to be very thought provoking.  There are some strong points made and, unfortunately, I find many of them to be true. 

So while I will carefully read those labels and have an ™Epi-pen available for Perfect Boy, I will continue to enjoy my peanut butter whenever he’s not around. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Crumble Bars

Makes 16 bars (12 larger)

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 Tablespoons crunchy peanut butter (creamy is fine)
*1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup jelly or jam**
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil in two overlapping strips.(See Blackberry Oat Bars)  Spray with nonstick spray.

Cream peanut butter, butter and dark brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer.  Add egg and cream well.

Sift together flour and salt. Add flour in three parts creaming well after each addition.  Mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.

Press all but 1 cup of the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Spread jelly or jam evenly over the top.  Crumble the reserved peanut butter batter over the top of the jelly layer.  Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts if desired pressing lightly into the top layer

Bake 30-35 minutes until the top is lightly golden.  Cool completely before removing from the pan using the foil handles.  Cut into bars and store in an airtight container.

These are not especially sweet and make good lunch box treats unless, of course, peanuts are prohibited at your school or workplace.

*  Soy butter works fine for those with peanut/tree nut allergies.  I  have not made these with almond butter, but I plan to give that a try as well.

**The original recipe called for grape jelly – not a fan really.  We like these with raspberry, strawberry and blackberry jelly or jam.  Actually, I prefer jam for the added texture it brings. Whatever flavor you like would work just fine.  Well, not sure about hot pepper jelly!

Adapted from The Best of Gourmet 2004.

And that giveaway?  Remember to come back tomorrow to check on that.  Are you following me on Twitter?  Thanks!