By Lillyan Baker

Forget the old bread act and pump up your peanut butter and jelly recipe. Enjoy your favorite snack morning, noon or night with peanut butter and jelly muffins and cookies. No need to cut the crust off for these recipes.  This is not your average PB & J.

Grab a PB & J Muffin on the Go!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen

1 c all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

3/4 c whole wheat flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)

1/4 c granulated sugar

1/4 c packed dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

1/3 c creamy peanut butter

1/4 c egg substitute

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking spray

1/4 c strawberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugars, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through vanilla); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Fill each cup half full with batter. Spoon 1 tsp jam into each cup. Spoon remaining batter on top to cover jam.

4. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack.

Not Your Average PB & J!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 20 servings

1/4 c margarine, softened

1/4 c no-sugar-added creamy peanut butter

1/2 c “measures-like-sugar” calorie-free sweetener

1/4 c sugar

2 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

Cooking spray

3/4 c low-sugar strawberry spread

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Beat margarine and peanut butter with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sweetener and sugar, beating well. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well.

3. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating well.

4. Shape dough into 40 (1-inch) balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Flatten cookies into 2-inch circles using a flat-bottomed glass.

5. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on pans, remove and let cool completely on wire racks. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons strawberry spread on the bottom of each of 20 cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Recipes from MyRecipes.com.