It’s not exactly known when peanut butter and jelly first came together inside two slices of bread. But it is known that the American soldiers in World War II were given both peanut butter and jelly in their food rations. (Wikipedia.com) It’s thought that the soldiers combined the peanut butter with the jelly to make the former easier to eat. This type of sandwich is now affectionately known as the “PB&J”, and here is how to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich:
To start with, you’ll need two thin slices of fresh, white bread. Avoid using thick bread like Texas Toast. You want to be able to taste the peanut butter and jelly, not get a mouthful of bread everytime you take a bite. The reason you want to use white bread, and not Whole Wheat, Rye or Italian, for example, is that the taste of the bread will interfere with the two most vital ingredients.
Now that you have the outer layers of the sandwich ready to use, it’s time to make a decision: do you want to smear a thin layer of butter on the bread, or not? Normally, the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich doesn’t contain any type of butter. The nutty flavor of the spread and the fruit-flavored jelly are delicious enough without any additives. But, since peanut butter is rather sticky, and it has a tendency to attach itself directly to the roof of your mouth when you eat it, then you might want to add a tasty lubricant such as butter or oleo.
If you choose to add a thin layer of butter to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich, use a table knife and just a dab of butter. Spread it on one side of one slice of the white bread.
It’s time now to add one of the main ingredients- the Piece de resistance, if you will- of the glorious peanut butter and jelly sandwich: it’s time to add the peanut butter. But, what kind of peanut butter makes the perfect sandwich? Since this nutty spread now comes in many varieties such as crunchy, reduced fat, natural, et cetera, you may wonder which kind you should use. The answer is simple. Use the plain old creamy-style peanut butter. Even if you like crunchy peanut butter, refrain from using it. The best PB&J sandwiches don’t make much of a noise when you’re eating them; you should only hear the smacking of your lips.
To add the peanut butter to your sandwich, stick the table knife down deep into the jar and pull out a large, sticky glob of the nutty spread. Spread a thick layer of the peanut butter across one slice of the white bread, preferably the one without the butter. Make sure it’s spread evenly. Then, wipe the knife off clean on the unused slice of white bread.
Next, to continue making your PB&J sandwich, get out a jar of your favorite grape jelly. That’s right, it has to be grape jelly to make the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No other flavor of jelly will work. It’s just a fact of life. Hold the jar above the clean slice of bread and use the table knife to dig out several glops of jelly. Allow the glops to fall to the bread below. You’ll know you have the right amount of grape jelly when you have enough to make a quarter inch layer once it’s spread out on the bread.
Finally, grab the piece of white bread that has the peanut butter on it and place it on top of the grape jelly slice. (The jelly side needs to meet the peanut butter side, or you haven’t done it right.)
And there, before you, is the perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Use the table knife to cut the sandwich in half, and then feel free to sink your teeth into this age-old delicacy. One more thing- since peanut butter is sticky, you’ll need a tall glass of milk or a glass of water to help wash your sandwich down.
