My sister-in-law Mindy is an excellent cook, so when her family visited a few weeks ago one of the first things I asked her was, "Is there anything delicious you've been wanting to make lately?" And, of course, she did not disappoint! I am forever grateful to her for introducing me to the world's most perfect peanut butter brownie. Thanks, Mindy! I made them again today for a picnic with friends and they were a hit.
They are a divine combination of taste and texture: dense, fudgy brownie; creamy, salty-sweet peanut butter; and - because they're not rich enough already - a satiny chocolate ganache finish. If you think, like I do, that chocolate and peanut butter are gifts from the gods, you must try these.
I can't for the life of me remember the blog where Mindy found the recipe, so if she feels inclined, she may include it in the comments. But since I am including the recipe with her ammendments, I will give her all the credit.
Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies
Brownie:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 cup plus 2 T. flour
Heat oven to 325. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil leaving some hanging over the edges and butter generously.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add eggs one at a time and beat in with a wooden spoon. Fold in flour.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 3o minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should have some moist crumbs attached. Let brownies cool completely.
Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 stock unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
a little milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar and milk a little at a time until it is spreadable. Add vanilla. Spread over cooled brownies. Chill for a few minutes to set.
Ganache Topping:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
Heat chocolate and cream in double boiler. When chocolate starts to melt, remove from heat and whisk until smooth (or use the microwave, like I did.) Spread over peanut butter layer and sprinkle with roasted nuts. Chill until ready to cut.
13 comments:
sounds nummy, Maci is allergic, Chris would eat one, Gavin would eat one. . . therefore I would probably end up eating the whole pan by myself. Hmmmmm
I could have sworn I got the recipe from Orangette- a food blog that I love. But I can't find it on the site so either I am technologically backward or forgetful. Or both. It turns out that no matter where I found it, the recipe is from Bon Appetit and can now be found on the Epicurious website, without the slight alterations made by me. Thanks for the compliments!
Thanks for making the recipe legit, Mindy. And all the compliments are well-deserved. I can't wait until you visit again and I can ask, "Is there anything you've been wanting to make lately?"
Just looking at the picture makes me need to write out a grocery list for ingredients so I can make that this weekend. Looks so good!!
I'm so excited to make these. I am supposed to make a dessert that is finger foodish for Sunday and have not known what to make. Here it is! I will let you know how it goes. Plus, I always say that peanut butter and chocolate are a divine combination, there is simply nothing better.
YUM! These are on my list of things to make soon!
Oh my, those look fabulous!! Thanks for sharing Gwyn!!
Okay...those look SOOOO good!!! I really want to try making them, but I'm no Bakerella, so I have a couple questions. first, where do I get bittersweet chocolate? do they make bittersweet choc chips? Also, is cream, just "heavy whipping cream"?? that's something I don't usually use, so i'm not sure. Man, I'm pretty pathetic...who would've thought brownies would be so difficult :)
Hey Lynette - you are totally a Bakerella, what are you talking about? You and your 500 variations on english muffin bread! :)
You can find bittersweet chocolate at the grocery just in with the rest of the baking chocolate. I confess, I forgot to add my little one ounce of bittersweet when I made them and they were still delicious, just not as dark. And, you're right, cream is just whipping cream. They actually go together pretty fast (minus the cooling time) - no special skills involved. You will have no problems with them. And no problems eating them - I sure don't! :)
That last comment was really from Gwyn. Nice, I must be logged on under Jared's username. Though I am sure that Jared also thinks you are a total Bakerella.
"Jared" is also oddly knowledgeable about bittersweet chocolate shopping.
Wait, that comment was me, not Ken.
No it wasn't.
Post a Comment