Peanut butter is eaten in so many ways. You can eat a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich or dip your celery in it. You can be creative and put it on random foods or just eat some delicious Reece’s Cups. Whatever your taste buds like, peanut butter is good on almost everything.

National Peanut Butter Day (March 1) celebrates the mouthwatering, nutty cream that we all love to eat. Because of the month starting with a day dedicated to peanut butter, the entire month of March is dedicated to the various recipes that include peanut butter.

Mykah Croom, junior- “I love peanut butter. I eat it with Ritz Crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with bananas. I like to toast bread and put it on there.”

Delmy Perez, junior- “I like to dip apples in the peanut butter. I also love Reece’s Cups and making peanut butter sandwiches and adding sugar to it.

Nicole Salas, junior- “I like eating it with celery. I also love to toast bread and put peanut butter and jelly and then having some chocolate milk with it.”

Maricruz Laurrabaquio, junior- “I like to eat it with strawberries and ice cream.”

Bryan Gonzalez, junior- “I just take a big spoon of it and eat it by itself.”

Peanut Butter Soft Pretzel Bites  

Time: 2 hours Cook time: 6 mins Total time: 2 hours 6 mins

Ingredients

3/4 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoons salt

1 1/8 tsp. active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 ounce unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup baking soda

1 egg

Peanut butter for filling

Instructions

Combine the warm water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Add the flour and butter and using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, and place the dough in a glass bowl oiled with vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 12 inch rope. Using a sharp knife, cut rope into 1 inch pieces.

Take one piece of dough and flatten to a square/rectangle with your fingers. Then spread some peanut butter on about half of the square/rectangle (about 1/4 tsp of pb). Make sure you don’t reach the edges of the dough or else you can’t completely seal the dough. Seal the dough back up to resemble the piece you originally cut, so it looks like a soft pretzel bite. You can shape it a little between your fingers. Repeat with remaining dough.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using a large sauce pan, fill with water. Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Place pretzels on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat.

Beat one egg. Brush the top of each pretzel bite with the beaten egg (I’ve found that using just an egg yolk wash creates a darker golden shiny exterior which I prefer. Sometimes an egg wash with egg white ends up being too pale). Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 6 minutes.

Blonde Rocky Road

This is definitely not the place for natural peanut butter. You need the smooth texture of commercial peanut butter. Microwaves vary, so watch the butterscotch mixture carefully while melting.

Makes 25 pieces

Ingredients

1 12-ounce bag butterscotch chips

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt (fine sea salt or table salt)

2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, divided

3/4 cup salted peanuts, divided (do not chop)

Instructions

Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil, being sure to get it neatly into the corners of the pan.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butterscotch chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave on 50% power for about 3 minutes. Stop to stir well. Place back in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on 50% power and stop to stir again–it should be smooth after a bit more stirring. If not, give it a couple more 30 second bursts of high power and stirring until smooth.

Stir in the vanilla and salt. Stir in 2 cups of the marshmallows and 1/2 cup of the peanuts until well-blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining marshmallows and peanuts evenly over the surface, and press lightly into the candy with your palms. Chill until set–15 minutes in the freezer or about an hour in the refrigerator.

Remove the candy slab from the pan and cut into 25 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.