PB & J Whole-Grain Blondies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, allowing it to slightly overhang opposite edges. Coat with cooking spray.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling often, until fragrant and starting to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in brown sugar; let cool for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Whisk eggs and vanilla into the cooled butter mixture until well combined. Add the flour mixture in two additions, gently folding until just combined. Reserve 2 tablespoons each peanuts and preserves; fold the remaining peanuts and preserves into the batter. Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop the reserved preserves evenly over the top; sprinkle with the reserved peanuts.

5. Bake the blondies until light brown around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. They will appear slightly underbaked in the center; but will firm up as they cool. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. To cut, grab the overhanging parchment or foil and transfer the whole batch to a cutting board, then cut into 24 bars.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and store airtight for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 3 months.

Try white whole-wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour in baked goods. It's made from hard white wheat berries, which makes it lighter in color and flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, but with the same nutritional properties. Look for it near other whole-grain flours. For the best flavor, store it airtight in the freezer.