Upscale PB and J Recipe

I'm not sure why but when it comes to sandwiches my favorite is peanut butter and jelly. For a snack I love chunky peanut butter with blueberry jelly on soft white bread but for parties I want to serve something a little fancier. Here I make a home-made cashew butter to replace the peanut butter and then turn some fresh raspberries into a flavorful fluid gel for the jelly.

To turn it into a dessert I serve it with a sliver of dark chocolate and a lemon twist which add brightness from the citrus and richness from the chocolate. I also like to serve it open face to better highlight the flavors.

Upscale pbj

Modernist Tools, Ingredients, and Techniques Used

If you would like more information about the modernist techniques, ingredients, and equipment used in the upscale pb and j recipe you can check out the following.

Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.

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Upscale PB and J Recipe

  • Published: June 04, 2015
  • By Jason Logsdon
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 2 Hours
  • Makes: 20 to 30 servings

Upscale PB and J Ingredients

Because they use modernist ingredients, these amounts are given in metric by weight. For more information on how to measure modernist ingredients check out this article.

For the Raspberry Juice

400g raspberries
110g water

For the Raspberry Jelly

300g raspberry juice
4g agar, 1.1%
30g brown sugar
50g Grand Marnier or triple sec

For the Cashew Butter

200g roasted cashews
40g honey
48g peanut oil

To Assemble

Soft white bread, cut into 38mm (1.5") squares
Thin lemon twists
Dark chocolate slivers

Upscale PB and J Instructions

For the Raspberry Juice

Combine the water with the raspberries and blend well. Strain thoroughly to remove all the seeds.

For the Raspberry Jelly

Blend the raspberry juice and agar together until well combined. Pour into a pot and add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Stir in the Grand Marnier then pour the raspberry mixture into a container and let it set completely. Once set, puree it well with an immersion or standing blender.

For the Cashew Butter

Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process well. For a smoother butter process longer. Taste for salt and add as needed. Drizzle in some more oil if it is too thick.

To Assemble

Place a bread square on a serving plate and smear the cashew butter on it. Top with some thick lines of raspberry jelly. Place a lemon twist on top and add a chocolate sliver or two.

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All tags for this article: Agar Agar, Agar Fluid Gel Recipes, Appetizer, Dessert, Fruit, Gelling, Party Foods


Jason logsdon headshot This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site might be affiliate links that if used to purchased products I might receive money. I like money but I will not endorse something I don't believe in. Please feel free to directly go to any products I link to and bypass the referral link if you feel uncomfortable with me receiving funds.
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