My oldest son, Ashton takes his lunch to school. I've found that it's much, much cheaper then buying him school lunches everyday and after reading about all the fat, sodium and
preservatives in school lunches - I thought this would be much healthier for him.
The problem of course with packing lunches everyday is offering variety. I could pack sandwiches, chips and a drink everyday - but I have a feeling that Ashton would get burnt out pretty quickly. So, I've been coming up with some ideas to make ahead of time and freezer for his lunches.
These PB&J Muffins are so easy to make - all ingredients go straight into the food processor (one of my fave kitchen gadgets!)
For this recipe, I prefer to use whole wheat flour. The muffins would be a little more moist with regular white flour, but I think this is a great way to add whole wheat into Ashton's diet (and he doesn't even notice!)
Toss all ingredients into the food processor. If you're kids are cooking with you - this is a great job for them!
Pulse the processor until everything is mixed. This doesn't take long! Make sure and scrape down the sides at least once to get everything mixed well.
You can use cupcake liners...but I find it just as easy to spray the muffin tin down really good with cooking spray. I've also made a bite-sized version of this muffin by using mini muffin tins. Great for little hands!
Using a large spoon load the muffin cups up. This recipe could easily make 2 dozen muffins - I opted for 1 dozen larger muffins.
While the muffins are in the oven, I got started with my jelly. Since I have all of the Wilton bags and tips, I used those. I used one of the largest tips I have. If you want to use a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off - that might work too.
When filling my pastry bags, I like putting them upside down in a drinking up. Hands free work!
Any kind of jelly or jam will work for these muffins!
My muffins came out HUGE!!! They made the whole house smell SO GOOD!
Dump your muffins onto a cooling rack. Make sure your husband and kids stay clear....muffins always seem to disappear when they are near.
Don't let the muffins cool all the way, it makes piping the jelly in harder. I filled the muffins over and started filling them with jelly. (I used a glass just for a picture) You'll need to figure out for your muffin size how much jelly is needed. I just squeezed until I could almost feel it on the outside of the muffin.
Here's where this can get a bit tricky. Jelly is messy. I've found the best way to control the goo is to put the muffins upside down back in the muffin tins. Once you're finished filling all the muffins - put them (while still in the tray) straight into the freezer for at least an half hour. Note: The jelly won't freeze 100%.
Once the muffins are froze place them in a large freezer storage back. Store them in the freezer. I pack Ashton's lunch the night before and then leave his lunch in the fridge to give the muffins time to thaw out overnight.
When I make these muffins, my hubby always insists that I leave a few without jelly - his fave way to eat them is warm, sliced and spread with honey!
These muffins are a great way to change up lunches! You can add anything you like to these muffins - flax seeds, chocolate chips, or raisins!
Thanks for stopping by for my very first post! I hope these muffins will be a hit in your house like they are in mine!
PB&J Food Processor Muffins
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup milk (soy milk works great too)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup jelly or jam (any flavor)
Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Pulse until mixed well. Scrap sides of bowl to ensure that everything is mixed. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Pour batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Using a piping bag, add jelly. After the muffins have cooled slightly pipe the jelly in to the bottom of each muffin. Serve warm or freezer in gallon freezer bags.
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