Birthday Treats

Yesterday was a rainy, snowy day in Minneapolis, so what better to do than bake?  I had promised a friend some belated birthday treats, and I finally narrowed down my selections to two things: S'mores Bars and Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread.  They were both really easy to make and equally easy to eat.  Yes, I sampled them.  I had to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong with them before giving them away, of course.  

I got the recipe for the S'mores Bars here: The Crepes of Wrath.  The only change I made was to make them in a 9" round pan instead of an 8x8" square pan.  They turned out just fine in the larger pan.  I also considered substituting Nutter Butters for the graham crackers, but I opted not to because I didn't want to overdo it on the peanut butter desserts.  I'll probably try it out next time, though.  Or maybe Thin Mints!  Or maybe lemon cookies!  I love lemon & chocolate together.  So many possibilities...

The recipe for the PB&J Shortbread came from the latest issue of Bon Apetit.  Here's the actual recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges.  They were super easy to make, and you only need a few ingredients.  

Here it is right before going into the oven.  The crumbled topping is just a portion of the base that gets frozen and grated before going into the oven.  

And here is the finished product.  I wonder what it would be like with Nutella instead of jam.  Do you think Nutella would hold up in the oven for 50 minutes?