Tag: peanut butter brownie

Peanut Butter Cup Belgian Brownies

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Rich, chocolately, filled with peanut butter – these brownies are perfect. I made them into two-bite brownies (or three or four, depending on the size of your bite). I found the Belgian brownie recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and then added the peanut butter cups.

The recipe is very easy to make; you simply melt the chocolate and butter, and just stir in the rest of the ingredients. The hardest part is waiting for them to bake and cool down enough to remove from the pan.

What you need:

  • 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 or 72%), roughly chopped
  • 7 ounces (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • enough mini peanut butter cups to put one in each brownie (I made a dozen, then used the rest of the batter to make a brownie in a bread pan)

What you do:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
  2. Spray a mini muffin tin well with non-stick spray.
  3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring.
  4. Remove the butter and chocolate from the heat and stir in the sugar.
  5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the salt and flour.
  6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1/2 hour at room temperature.
  7. Fill each muffin tin with batter, then place a peanut butter cup on top, pressing it in only a little. It will sink in on its own.
  8. You can either make another pan of peanut butter brownies, or you can spray a loaf pan and bake the rest in that.
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes, then test by inserting a toothpick into the brownie part, and the toothpick should come out with some crumbs clinging to it. If you’ve made a pan of brownies it needs more like 40 minutes.
  10. Allow the brownies to cool for about half an hour before removing from the pan.

Allow the brownies to cool completely, then they can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months.

Peanut Butter Brownie with Chocolate Ganache

peanut butter brownie - trust in kim

For those who love chocolate and peanut butter, this will be a temptation.  There’s a peanut butter “blondie” on the bottom, filled with chocolate chips, and then a chocolate ganache on top.  It is a two-step recipe, but the second step is so easy. For the chocolate ganache I used half bittersweet chocolate and half  semi-sweet.  I thought it was a great balance of sweetness to the base layer that is slightly sweeter, and my staff at work who sampled this on goodie day agreed.  If you’ve got a real sweet tooth you may want to use only semi-sweet chocolate.

I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen (love her site and cookbook), and she got it from Gourmet Magazine’s recipe from Butterwood Desserts.

What you need for the brownie/blondie:

  • 1 cup or 1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 & 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used a natural peanut butter with no sugar or salt added – if you use this you’ll want to add extra salt to the batter)
  • 2 large eggs plus one yolk, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 & 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or more if you’re using natural peanut butter

What you need for the ganache:

  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon butter

What you do:

  1. Begin by rolling out enough parchment paper to line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Spread some butter on the parchment, then line the pan with it.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack in the middle of the oven.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until the  mixture is light and fluffy, then beat in the peanut butter. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. With the mixer sped on low, mix in the flour until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips,  then spread thick batter into the parchment-lined baking pan, smoothing the  top.
  4. Bake the brownies for about 40-45 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (I used two 9×9 pans, so mine was done early)
  5. Cool completely on a rack before topping with the ganache.
  6. To make the ganache put the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl that fits on top of a small pot of water.  Add the cream and butter, then turn the heat up on the double boiler until it reaches a low simmer.  Stir with a spatula until the chocolate is melted and glossy.  Spread the ganache over top of the brownie, then let it stand until set.
  7. To cut the brownie remove it from the pan, then run a large knife under hot water, dry it off, and slice the brownie.

peanut butter chocolate brownie - trust in kim