PB & yum.

Apparently I only have 2 B&M recipes with peanut butter (and no, peanut butter chips don't count) so let me add another one to the mix! I admit, I don't always incorporate peanut butter in baked goods because, well, I prefer it on bread or on a banana but since I'm getting sick of PB and homemade strawberry chia jam (yes, I made this! I just have to tweak some things but I'll share the recipe once I'm happy with it!) on toast, I thought I'd turn my yummy crunchy PB into a baked good. And boy am I so happy I did this because these squares are just SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

If you're a big peanut butter fan, then you're gonna love these squares because it's full-on peanut butter in flavor! The cake base itself is somewhat plain and just slightly perfumed by the  spices (cinnamon and ginger) so that the peanut butter streusel can just shine and win you over. The crumble is just soft and crunchy and oh so creamy- it's really a good choice to use crunchy peanut butter for this recipe! Each bite is just an explosion of creamy and peanutty goodness and honestly, I can't get enough. Look, I LOVE crunchy peanut butter on toast but crunchy peanut butter as a crumble is just GLORIOUS. I definitely see myself making this again in the near future! 

Oh, the original recipe has an optional addition of raisins but I personally felt like raisins don't go well with peanut butter so I skipped that. However, I think the next time I make this, I think I'll be adding in dried mixed berries instead, like a combination of cranberries, blueberries, and strawberries. I think dried fruits with a little bit of sourness will complement the creamy sweet/salty flavor of peanut butter, kinda like a deconstructed version of a PB&J!

Peanut Butter Crumble Squares

(adapted from BakingBites.com)

Yield: 16 squares

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (I did 1 cup unsifted + 3/4 cup sifted)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground ginger 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

a pinch of salt 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature 

1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup buttermilk 

1 large egg 

1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature (I used my forever fave, Peanut Butter & Co.'s Crunch Time)

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9" square pan with baking paper. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix well.

3. Add in softened butter into the dry mix and beat (I used a hand mixer) until you have a texture similar to sand. Remove 3/4 cup of this mixture and set aside.

4. Add in milk and egg into the remaining flour mixture and stir until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour this batter into your lined pan.

5. In a bowl, beat together the 3/4 cup of flour mixture and peanut butter. Using your hand or a spoon, drop clumps of this mixture on top of the cake batter.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

7. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!