With the recent Salmonella scare removing peanut butter and peanut products from Penn’s dining halls and vending machines, Street decided to bring peanut butter back, DIY style. We chose a combination of ingredients — from the classic to the creative — so that you can mix and match to devise your perfect PB & J sandwich.
We chose some standard pairs — crunchy and smooth peanut butter, strawberry and grape jelly, white and wheat bread — to start. On the whole, the various mixtures of these ingredients were nostalgic at best, but nothing special. To bring your PB & J to the next dimension, try varying the recipe by adding things like Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread, marshmallow fluff, apple butter and honey. For alternatives to Wonderbread, try cinnamon raisin rolls or even waffles. And for an extra kick, add in dried cherries, fresh blueberries or banana slices.
Mixing and matching the basics and novelties, we set about having a PB & J taste test. Trying various sandwich combinations, here’s what we found:
"The Classic” The spread: Creamy/crunchy peanut butter, grape/strawberry jelly The bread: Whole wheat and white Surprisingly, the traditional PB & J got the least love. Wheat bread was favored over white, which was “too sweet” for our tasters.
”The Bee's Knees” The spread: Honey and crunchy peanut butter The bread: Whole wheat The sweetness of honey is subtle enough not to overwhelm the palate. Add slices of banana for another element. Elvis would approve.
“Waffles a la PBJ” The spread: Strawberry jelly and crunchy peanut butter The bread: Mini Belgian waffles (pre-packaged, can be purchased at FroGro) The waffles were a delightful alternative to regular bread. Top off with PB & J or nutella and apple butter.
”All Things Good” The spread: Nutella, creamy peanut butter, marshmallow fluff The bread: Whole wheat This creamy (and messy) combo was a hit for most, but some felt the peanut butter overpowered the other ingredients.
“Raisin Crunch” The spread: Crunchy peanut butter, strawberry jelly The bread: Cinnamon Raisin bagel Crunchy peanut butter was the star of this sandwich (and preferred by most over creamy). However, the raisins added “extra creations” that our tasters just didn’t need.
The verdict? While a classic PB & J might taste like your childhood, there are plenty of opportunities to grow up, so to speak. Nutella and apple butter were popular alternatives to peanut butter, and whole wheat bread and waffles separated themselves from the pack of bread choices. Striking a balance between simplicity and unique flavor, “mash-ups” drew a fine line. Push that separation anxiety aside and venture outside your PB & J comfort zone — experiment!
