Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies. Whoa.

This adventure went from peanut butter cookies, to peanut butter bars, to throw some choc chips in there, to why not throw in some coca, too? To the search for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies.

And alas! I found a recipe here

(The recipe I'm posting is a bit different, I made my own tweaks)

And I even took pictures this time!

ps I know this looks long and complicated, but its really not. Its just the two batters you have to make separate, so don't be intimidated. 

Chocolate Batter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened (plus extra for pan)
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup each all purpose and whole wheat flours
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Batter:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/8 cup each all-purpose and whole wheat flours
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I use organic, unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.

Make the batters:  In separate bowls, one medium for the chocolate and one small for the peanut butter, stir together butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat well with a spoon or whisk until smooth. For the peanut butter filling, stir peanut butter into the wet mixture. In a separate bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder and salt for the peanut butter batter. Gradually add to the peanut butter wet mixture. Use that same separate bowl to mix the dry ingredients for the chocolate batter - flours, baking powder, salt and cocoa - then gradually add to the "chocolate" wet mixture, stirring well to blend. 

Pour half the chocolate batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Place nine dollops of peanut butter - about one heaping tablespoon each - equally spaced on top of the chocolate batter. Sprinkle choc chips now if you want an *extra* chocolate kick. A small scoop works great for this. With a bamboo or metal skewer, gently swirl filling into the batter, running skewer lengthwise and then crosswise through the batter. Pour remaining chocolate batter on top of the peanut butter layer, then add another nine dollops of peanut butter batter on top, using all the remaining batter. Repeat swirling (and maybe choc chip addage).

Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then lift out brownies with the paper and let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Makes 16 brownies.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

So typically if I don't make a really stupendous dinner

(as in, last night was cereal, tonight will prob be fish sticks and mac and cheese)

you can usually count on me to make a spectacular dessert instead!

(and come on, which one would you rather have, anyway?)

So tonight's recipe comes from here

originally, but I have tweaked it a bit

2 Cups dark chocolate chips

1 giant hershey's bar (this was all the chocolate we had in the house....)

3 tbs peanut butter

Melt in a double boiler

------------------------------

1 C Peanut Butter

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 mini butterfingers crumbled

Mix in a bowl until smooth.

Spoon a thin layer of the melted chocolate into cupcake foils, freeze for 15 mins (or until solid)

Spoon a dollop of peanut butter. Freeze.

Cover with one more thin layer of chocolate on top. Freeze again until solid.

Enjoy! They melt fast, so keep refrigerated.

Yuuuummmmm...!