This SunButter and Jelly Sandwich is inspired by ones found at Disney World's Star Wars hotel (Galactic Starcruiser). Lovingly called "space uncrustables" by guests, these sandwich pods look a lot like Rey's portion bread in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In reality, they are profiteroles stuffed with SunButter and grape jelly!
We know what you're thinking: Profiteroles?! Aren't those served at French bakeries? Yes, but they are also super easy to make! The dough recipe is just 5 basic ingredients: water, salt, butter, flour and eggs. When the dough is piped into mounds and baked, they magically turn into hollow rolls. It's so simple!
The crackly, green top of the pods is called craquelin. Again, making this green craquelin dough is simple with just 4 ingredients: butter, sugar, flour and food coloring.
While optional, the craquelin top takes the sandwiches to an other-worldly level, both in taste and in looks. When you sink your teeth into the pods, the craquelin gives the sandwiches a sweetness and crunch.
The bright green color comes from our favorite food coloring: Wilton Color Right Food Coloring. The intensity of Wilton Color Right's colors are unmatched. They also make it easy to mix an array of colors. That's why we choose this food coloring system time and time again!
For a natural coloring and unique flavor, you may use 1 to 2 teaspoons of matcha powder in lieu of food coloring. We've made matcha craquelin many times before, including for this Raspberry Cream Filled Oi Oi Puff. Using matcha instead of food coloring will make the craquelin a darker, swampier green color.
This SunButter and Jelly Sandwich Pod is a super fun and unique spin on a classic PB & J! Speaking of, if you're not fond of SunButter, peanut butter is an easy swap. You can also use whatever flavor jelly you love. However you like your pods, we hope you enjoy!
Equipment
- Mixer (hand or stand)
- Rolling Pin
- Small piping bag with small, round piping tip to add the SunButter and jelly filling to the pods
Ingredients
Green Craquelin
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2.5 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 5 drops Wilton Color Right Yellow Food Coloring
- 1 drop Wilton Color Right Blue Food Coloring
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Pods
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
Filling
- 1/2 cup SunButter*
- 10 ounces grape jelly* *You'll use less, but having more in your piping bag will make it easier to pipe the filling into the pod.
Instructions
Make the Green Craquelin Dough
- Cream the softened unsalted butter and brown sugar using a mixer until fluffy.
- Add the yellow and blue food coloring and mix until the food coloring is blended in.
- Finally, add the flour and mix until well incorporated. The mixture should look crumbly, but come together into a dough when pressed with the back of a spoon.
- Using your hands, press the craquelin mixture firmly into a ball of dough.
- Put the craquelin dough ball in between two pieces of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll until you have a sheet of dough large enough to cut out at least seven 2.5" disks.
- Freeze the rolled-out dough. Meanwhile, make the pod dough (see next step).
Make the Pod Dough
- Fit the reusable pastry bag with a coupler and Ateco 808 piping tip.
- In a medium sized pan, add the butter, salt and water. Heat on medium heat until the butter is melted. Once melted, crank the heat up a notch and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat back down to medium and add the flour. Spend a minute stirring and smashing the flour into the dough until combined. Then remove from the heat and immediately transfer the dough to a medium sized bowl to cool for about 5 minutes. To encourage cooling, you can break up the dough into a few pieces to vent.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
- While the dough is warm (not hot), add the eggs and use an electric mixer to blend until combined, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately transfer the dough to the piping bag.
Bake the Pods
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
- To pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, hold the tip down, then pipe tall piles of dough that are no more than 1.5" to 2" in diameter. Pipe 6 equal piles of dough, leaving at least 2" of space in between each pile.
- Remove the craquelin from the freezer and use the 2.5" biscuit cutter to cut 6 discs. If the dough is too frozen, allow it to sit at room temperature for a couple minutes. The dough should be cold when cutting.
- Gently rest a circle of craquelin on top of each pile of dough.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and then immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Farenheit.
- Bake for 35 minutes. (NOTE: We know it's tempting to peek, but don't open the oven door for at least 20 minutes or you may deflate the pods.)
- Remove the pods from the oven and carefully (they are hot!) use a knife to poke a hole in the lower side of each pod, below the green craquelin.
- Leaving the oven door cracked, return the pods to the oven for 5 more minutes. This will help dry out the center of the pods.
- Transfer the pods to a cooling rack and allow to cool completley before moving onto the final step.
Fill the Pods
- Using a small piping bag with round tip, pipe about 1/2 tablespoon of SunButter into each pod, aiming the piping bag tip towards the bottom of the pod. (TIP: If it's too difficult to fill the pods or you want to stuff the pods to the max, use your hands to separate the flat bottom of the pod from the top. Then, fill the pod like you would a sandwich.)
- Using a small piping bag with round tip, pipe about 1 tablespoon of jelly into each pod, aiming the piping bag tip towards the top of the pod.
- Pods taste best when eaten immediately or the same day. Enjoy!
Scott Rogers
Just like the parks!