Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

My brother gave me a super awesome cookbook this year for Christmas. I anticipate the 100 Best Holiday Cookies will be just the thing to help me lose this baby weight… There are so many goodies in this book, I might look more pregnant postpartum than I was during the actual pregnancy!

The number one cookie that caught my eye was Chewy Peanut Butter Brownies. I guess it’s more of a bar than a cookie, but whatever. I mean, the two-toned look is super fancy, and what better combination is there than peanut butter and chocolate? Of course, being me, I substituted Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa for the dutch cocoa, making these a delicious dark chocolate delight!

I’m planning to make these for any and all cookie exchanges in the future. In 45 minutes, I can have a couple dozen impressive brownies. Plop them on a plate, take them to the exchange and watch everyone oooh and aaah at my flawless brownie game. At least, that’s what happens in my dreams…

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

2015-10-21 13:15:46

Yields 12

Dark chocolate and peanut butter combine to make a beautiful two-toned dessert!

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

35 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

1. 3/4 cup butter or margarine
2. 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3. 1 3/4 cup sugar
4. 2 tsp vanilla
5. 4 eggs
6. 1 1/4 cups flour
7. 1/2 tsp baking powder
8. 1/4 tsp salt
9. 1/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Beat butter and peanut butter. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until blended.
2. Blend in eggs.
3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and blend.
4. Reserve 1 3/4 cups batter in a bowl. Blend cocoa into remaining batter.
5. Spread cocoa batter evenly in greased 9x9.
6. Spread reserved batter evenly over the top of the cocoa batter.
7. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.

Adapted from 100 Best Holiday Cookies

Adapted from 100 Best Holiday Cookies

Homan at Home http://homanathome.com/

A Few Thoughts

Just a few ideas on making brownies just the way you like them. 

The trick to getting fudgy brownies is slightly underbaking them. You don’t want a lava flow when you cut into them, but you do want them to still leave a small amount of batter on the knife when you check them. The knife shouldn’t come out clean, but it shouldn’t be completely coated either. The brownies will continue to bake while they’re cooling in the pan, so a slight underbake won’t ruin anything. It’ll just leave your product a little moister, gooier, and fudgier. This is how I personally prefer just about all baked goods, actually.

Another trick you can try to get a heavier brownie is to cut out 1/4 cup flour. This works really well for Pauline’s Brownies, but I’ve yet to try it on this recipe. If you try it, leave a comment and let me know how it goes. I’m curious!

Cakey brownies are what you get if you let them cook until the knife comes out clean. That’s what you see in the pictures. My husband likes brownies this way, but I can’t say I’m as big a fan. 

Anyway, whichever way you like them, these chocolate peanut butter brownies are an absolute delight!

Looking for more awesome brownie recipes? Check these out!

Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies

Pauline’s Brownies

Dark Chocolate Velvet Brownies

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