Dessert of the Week-- Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Okay, so after my awesome success of Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies, I wanted to try something with peanut butter. My father-in-law loves peanut butter, so I was hoping to do something he would like. Now while I think this recipe is in need of some tweaking, it is still Yumm!!! I'll let ya know what he thinks about them. :)


Let's begin!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
5 eggs, divided
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
4 oz unsweetened chocolate baking pieces
1 can (1 1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
8 Tbsp butter, melted, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter, chunky
1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x9-inch cake pan. Set aside.

    In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside.

   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk three (3) eggs until well combined. It'll be a nice daffodil yellow (as pictured). Once you have whisked the eggs for a couple minutes, add in 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar.

   Still with the whisk attachment, whisk until the sugars are well combined into the eggs and is a creamy consistency. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave peanut butter chips and 4 Tbsp butter. Heat at 30-second intervals, stirring after each time.

In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, 

beat together the peanut butter

and 2 eggs until creamy.

 Once creamy, beat in the melted peanut butter chips and butter. 

When all ingredients have been incorporated, beat on low

speed and add in the 1 cup of Heath Bar baking bits.

   Okay, set this aside too. I know, the bowls are piling up on the counter. It is all part of the process, I promise!

   Now it is time to formulate the fudgie chocolatey goodness of these brownies.

In a double boiler, or a metal mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the unsweetened

chocolate baking pieces and sweetened condensed milk over medium heat.

   Once the chocolate is completely melted and stirred together with the sweetened condensed milk, take the bowl off of the heat. Stir in the 4 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and the egg mixture we set aside earlier.

   Now stir in the flour mixture we whisked together in the very beginning.

  
   Stir just until all of the flour mixture has been incorporated.

   While the chocolate mixture is still warm (and therefore easy to pour and even out), pour about two-thirds (2/3) of the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Using a spoon or rubber spatula, even this layer out as best you can. Now reach over and grab the peanut butter mixture. In large spoonfuls, drop around the pan and then use the spoon or rubber spatula to spread out the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer.

   To get the swirl in there, use a long thin knife and make swirling motions around the pan--making sure to get to the peanut butter layer.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. (Mine was just a smidge over-cooked on the crust, but still tasted fabulous!) When you pull it from the oven, you are looking for a "jiggle" in the middle. Let it mostly cool before diving in! :)

Look at that gooey peanut buttery and chocolate goodness! Yumm!!

(Bet you wish the screen was scratch-n-sniff.)

And dive in!! Enjoy with a nice scoop or two of vanilla bean ice cream!