Peanut Butter Brownies
Our kitchen designer, S, for our renovation project was AMAZING. Granted, we had to “break up” with two designers before finding her, but boy are we glad we did! She had so much patience with us me and my indecisiveness. And she tackled our kitchen with all it’s funky angles and obstacles as a challenge not a burden. It was her last minute idea to put a countertop over our radiator to almost double our counter space in the room. We owe her. Big time. But how do you thank someone for all their hard work and patience? In an attempt to show our gratitude, I did what I do best. I baked for her.
The day we went to deliver these brownies, S said she was so glad we love the kitchen and that this is what makes her day. Happy customers coming in smiling say they love the design she came up with. If anyone in the Boston area is looking for a kitchen designer, let me know, because she was awesome.
And now, on to the brownies. I had some leftover frosting from the Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes and I wanted to incorporate that frosting into the treat for S. Then I decided that I’d stick with the chocolate-peanut-butter theme but make brownies. Now ever since I made these Oreo Brownies, an Ina Garten recipe, I’ve been in love with the brownies. I also made them into Brownie Pops for Hubby’s mom’s surprise birthday party. The brownies are delicious. But I decided I’d try a new brownie recipe just to mix things up.
I asked around and decided on this recipe from What’s Cooking in the Orange Kitchen. These brownies do not disappoint! They’ve got a great texture. Be sure to follow the tip in the recipe to get the nice shiny top to your brownies. I mixed some chocolate-peanut-butter swirled chips into the brownie batter prior to cooking.
Once the brownies were fully cooled, I spread about a 1/2 cup of the leftover frosting onto the brownies. I also had some leftover ganache in the fridge, so I decided to slather that over the peanut butter frosting.
These brownies are very rich and tasty. The peanut butter flavor was not overwhelming, but more of a subtle flavor mixed with the delicious chocolateness of the brownies. Hubby didn’t want to actually deliver these to S because he wanted to eat the entire batch himself.
Don’t forget to enter in my 2nd blogiversary giveaway by midnight on August 13th!
Perfect Brownies
Yield: 16 brownies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder, optional
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cups flour
1 cups chocolate chips - I used chocolate-peanut-butter swirl chips
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8x8 pan
In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.
Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you've heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla.
Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth.
Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth.
Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 8x8 pan.
Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.
Recipe from What's Cooking in the Orange Kitchen originally from King Arthur Flour
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Happy birthday! Today is my husband’s birthday, and he also requested a chocolate cake. I baked him Ina Garten’s Beatty’s chocolate cake. Your chocolate cake may be the one I bake for my birthday later this year. 🙂
beantownbaker — June 17th, 2013 @ 8:48 am
That’s a really good chocolate cake recipe too! Tell your husband happy birthday!
Happy birthday! A no frills chocolate fudge cake sounds perfect 🙂
This looks amazing!! And happy birthday!!!
beantownbaker — June 17th, 2013 @ 9:34 am
Thanks 🙂
Happy Birthday! Noting like a perfectly simple chocolate cake to ring in a new year! This one looks scrumptious!
That is seriously one gorgeous cake!!! I think I’m in love!
happy birthday and thanks so much for the chocolate cake- can’t have too many chocolate cake recipes
beantownbaker — June 18th, 2013 @ 4:02 pm
I couldn’t agree more!
We’re birthday buddies! Hope you had a great day!
Happy Birthday! Your cake looks amazing!!
and if i want to make this 9 x 13?any caveats? i never know if i can just change pan size and oven time/temp?
beantownbaker — June 18th, 2013 @ 4:05 pm
Two 9″ round pans is the same amount of cake batter as a 9×13 pan. I’d probably use the same temp and start checking around the same time. But I would expect it to take longer to bake in the end.
tnx- 9 x 13 is easier to tote
Oh goodness, this looks indulgent! I need to make this for my husband as soon as I can!
Happy birthday! This cake is to die for- looks so chocolatey and fudgey. Hope you had a great day!
beantownbaker — June 19th, 2013 @ 7:13 am
Thanks! I had a great birthday this year.
Tomorrow is my birthday and I am making your birthday cake for my big day!
Thanks!
beantownbaker — June 23rd, 2013 @ 7:56 pm
Happy birthday tomorrow!! Hope you enjoy the cake as much as I did.
Wow – this cake looks so good! I am always looking for chocolatecake recipes to try – so glad to have stumbled on your blog!
beantownbaker — July 5th, 2013 @ 9:55 am
Glad you found me!
I just made this for my mom and brothers Birthday tomorrow 🙂 I will come back and let you know how mine turned out 🙂 thanks for the recipe and happy late Birthday!
beantownbaker — August 4th, 2013 @ 6:42 pm
Definitely let me know how it goes!
The cake turned out amazing and was a huge hit! Most of the kids weren’t a huge fan but i don’t think they have learned to appreciate dark chocolate 🙂
beantownbaker — August 5th, 2013 @ 7:14 am
Glad it was a success (for the adults!)