Peanut Butter Brownies

Peanut butter and chocolate.  The love of my mouth.  You two belong together, together with me.  Seriously though, I adore you.  However you decide to come I’ll take you in, you have a place with me. 

Shane and I love peanut butter and chocolate.  And regretfully it had been a while since I last baked something to marry the two.  I saw the recipe on smitten kitchen clicking on that terrific “surprise me” button!  I love it, it brings me to all these neat points in Deb’s life that are so fun to read.  Less than three hours later I was on my way to the store to pick up the items and less than 6 hours later they were in my mouth.  Thank you Deb.

After I dropped these off at Shane’s work he sends me a text, “there’s more right?”

Terrific peanut butter flavour, crunchy little salty bites and hard bits of chocolate through out.  Yum!

Peanut Butter Brownies - from smittenkitchen

makes 32 if you cut them smallish

Brownies:

2 sticks of butter, softened

1 3/4 c of sugar

1 c natural pb

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

2 t vanilla extract

2 c flour

1 1/2 c (9oz) chocolate, dark  or bittersweet

1/2 t salt (if using unsalted butter and natural pb, not the mucked up stuff)

Ganache:

1 1/2 c (9oz) chocolate, semisweet

1/2 c cream

1 T butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and line with parchment paper a 9x13 pan. 

Beat together butter and sugar in stand mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy.  Then add pb and mix until it is all together, scraping down sides.  Beat in eggs, yolk and vanilla.  Reduce to low speed and stir in flour and salt if needed until just incorporated.  Mix in chopped chocolate and spread into greased pan.  The batter will be very thick, like cookie dough.

Bake brownies until deep golden and puffed, 40 minutes or so.  Toothpick will come out with crumbs on it.  Let cool completely.

To make ganache place chopped chocolate in medium sized bowl.  Heat cream in small saucepan.  Pour hot cream over chocolate and add butter.  Wait one minute before stirring to melt butter and chocolate into a smooth mixture.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and leave to set as long as you can resist (or throw them in the fridge for 20 or so minutes)