It’s peanut butter jelly time at Pekara this month, and it was imperative that I take advantage of this. I love peanut butter. In the picky days of my youth, PBJ sandwiches literally kept me alive. I still find myriad ways to consume it: as a sandwich filling, a topping, a dip, or just by the spoonful.
They have three specials for this PBJ theme: Peanut Butter Pie, White Chocolate Raspberry Jam Latte, and PBJ French Toast. Last week, I stopped in to try the latter. It’s available as a half order ($10.45) or full order ($16.95). I was anticipating a lot of richness, so I opted for the half. The two thick triangles of toast were drizzled with warm peanut butter, and topped with sliced strawberries. On the side was a container of strawberry jam and a dollop of marscapone.
There’s no need for syrup here, as the flavors of the peanut butter, jam, and marscapone perfectly compliment the french toast. There’s a lot of sweetness, but it’s counteracted by the salty hints from the peanut butter, and tartness of the strawberries. It was made me PBJ loving heart happy. And the bonus, is the addition of a little dish of their amazing breakfast potatoes.
You can order online for pickup (you’ll find this as an option when you select french toast on their online menu), or enjoy it there.
Pekara Bakery and Bistro
811 W Springfield
Champaign
Tu-Sa 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Su 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
