Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Peanut Butter Jelly Time: PB&J Puff Pastry Doughnuts

As Brian Griffin would say, "It's peanut butter jelly time..." today. What's not to love about PB&J...especially when it's in the form of a warm, flaky doughnut? Today's recipe is so simple to whip up thanks to frozen puff pastry...and it tastes AMAZING!! I've been wanting to experiment with puff pastry for quite a while, so I decided today was the day I would make that happen.

I looked for a fun recipe at the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry website. They have all sorts of recipes for appetizers, desserts, and pastries...but one recipe jumped out at me immediately: PB&J Doughnuts. The idea of one of my all-time favorite sandwiches in a doughnut form had me dashing out the door to head to the grocery store to buy some puff pastry!

I had seen PB&J doughnuts when we visited The Doughnut Plant in New York this summer. I opted for other flavors that day, but that doughnut has stayed on my mind all this time. Now I have at least some idea how it might have tasted. Warm gooey peanut butter filling and raspberry jam was my combination of choice, but I'm sure old-school grape jelly would be wonderful as well. The recipe also gave options for peanut butter-chocolate and raspberry-white chocolate versions. Now that I know how simple this treat is to whip up, I can't wait to try some other flavors!


PB&J Puff Pastry Doughnuts
adapted from Pepperidge Farm

Step 1:  Remove frozen puff pastry from the box and set the two pieces on a baking sheet to thaw. This takes about 30-40 minutes. While the pastry is thawing, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 3 tbs. whipping cream, 2 tbs. powdered sugar, and 1 tbs. honey in a small bowl. Stir well to combine and set aside.


Step 2:  Preheat oven to 400. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut each piece of puff pastry into nine rounds. Place half of the puff pastry rounds on a non-stick cookie sheet...a silpat is great for cleanup later! Top each round with 1 tsp. of the peanut butter mixture and 1 tsp. of your favorite jam or jelly. I used seedless red raspberry jam.


Step 3:  Combine 1 egg and a bit of water and whisk well until frothy. Brush the egg wash around the edges of the rounds. Top with the remaining nine pastry rounds. Press well so the two pieces seal together...go slow to try to prevent any of the filling from coming out the sides. 


Step 4:  Bake the doughnuts for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden. I turned my baking sheet around halfway through to ensure even browning. Be sure to let the doughnuts cool for at least 10 minutes...unless you like eating molten lava! Dust with powdered sugar and serve.


For something so simple, these doughnuts are amazing. They're fancy enough to serve to friends for a Sunday brunch, but simple enough to whip up for a yummy after-dinner treat. The basic technique lends itself to all sorts of variations...I can't wait to try white-chocolate raspberry doughnuts next time. And I can assure there will definitely be a next time!!



19 comments:

  1. Yum! I love peanut butter with strawberry, myself ... think we may have to try these. Seems like you could use just about any filling, don't you think?

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  2. OH! This looks GOOD. I love anything peanut butter related. It's kind of ridiculous. I'm gonna bookmark this post and make this sometime soon!

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  3. Oh my gosh, I love PB & J and your donuts look amazing. I so want a bite of that.

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  4. I've never thought of making donuts with puff pastry, but I know they would be fabulous...as yours are!!!

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  5. Looks like we have a recipe for brunch next weekend!;}

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  6. I love how simple this sounds! I've never thought of using puff pastry to make donuts, fantastic!

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  7. Oh my word I am making this this weekend!! MMMM

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  8. @Laura - The basic technique lends itself to all sorts of filling combos. As long as you don't overstuff, the sky's the limit. Think I'm making cream-cheese and blueberry next...sounds heavenly!!

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  9. Wow, those look amazing!! What a great idea!!

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  10. I need one of these in my life! Right now

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  11. Yum - peanut butter and jelly in a doughnut, sounds delcious!

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  12. This looks awesome! I love it! PB & J is such a classic in any form. :)

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  13. Oh my. I'm at a loss for words right now.

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  14. PB & J is my husband's favorite for breakfast on an English muffin, every morning. but I bet if I made these "doughnuts, he might change his mind. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Too good! This is a great idea and a great new addiction!

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  16. So I know what I'm making this weekend! How simple but how delicious! When I first saw the title of the post, I thought these doughnuts were going to be super complicated. I was wrong (and I'm glad!) Thank you for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a great Friday. I'm so ready for the weekend!

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  17. this would be a welcome treat to breakfast

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  18. Doughnuts are one of my favorite earthly pleasures and my daughter is a total PB&J nut..... so THIS is the perfect treat for us!! :-) Thanks for sharing at Saturday Swap!

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  19. This is such a great idea, and great use for puff pastry. I love PB&J and these would be a yummy treat. Thanks for participating in the YBR and sorry it took me so long to stop by.

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