Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Okay well not exactly ‘swirl’ brownies. I did try to create the swirl, but the heavy peanut butter sank completely to the bottom while baking. I have so many things to say about these Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, it’s hard to get my thoughts straight. Let me start off by saying that I usually do not like brownies. Very weird, I know. I used to love them as a kid, but now I think there’s just too much chocolate in a brownie. Which is why I mostly used milk chocolate for these brownies instead of plain/semisweet chocolate (also because I ran out of semisweet chocolate). I thought the brownies would taste less chocolate-y if I would use milk chocolate, and they did! Also, this recipe calls for too much peanut butter. Peanut butter has a very strong flavor, so I would suggest using ½ cup of peanut butter instead of the recommended ¾ cup. And you must eat these when they’re completely cooled. The peanut butter taste kind of disgusting when it’s still warm! But once they’re cooled they taste fantastic. So, aside from the ‘too much peanut butter flavor’, these brownies were really good! If I had omitted the peanut butter I would have rated these 5 out of 5. With the peanut butter, these brownies get a 4 out of 5.

Also, I ate these brownies with some ice cream and home-made butterscotch sauce. OMG - OMG, I have to tell you how good the butterscotch sauce was!!! We didn’t have any ice cream sauce, and I was in no mood to go to the grocery store, so there was only one option left: making my own! It’s a Nigella Lawson recipe. She uses this butterscotch sauce for her Ice Cream Cake and for a Fruit Fondue. The sauce is sooo easy to make! Mine was ready within 5 minutes and it tastes exactly like the store bought ones. Plus those store bought sauces are quite expensive. I really recommend this butterscotch sauce recipe… really!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies recipe: Martha Stewart - Living

Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 1 ½ ounces semisweet, and 4 ½ ounces milk chocolate)
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter (I recommend that you use ½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
- Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
- Make peanut butter filling: Stir together butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
- Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
- To swirl brownies, work quickly so that batter and filling don't set. Use two large spoons to drop dollops of filling on the first layer of batter about one inch apart. Repeat with next layer of batter and remaining filling. Drag a butter knife back and forth through the layers with the tip touching the bottom of the pan.
- Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Butterscotch Sauce recipe: Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Splash vanilla extract

Instructions:
- Melt the sugars, syrup and butter in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the cream and vanilla, stirring together, and then take off the heat. It will be very runny, but still you can use it right away. However, if you put it in the fridge for 1 - 2 hours it will become thicker.


Instead of creating a 'swirl' pattern, I wanted to make a feathering pattern.


This is how the brownie/peanut butter batter went into the oven. Unfortunately, the heavy peanut butter sank to the bottom while baking, so no swirls nor feathers.


I recommend you eat these when they are completely cooled, the peanut butter tastes so weird when it's warm!


In this picture you can see the peanut butter at the bottom of the brownie.


My dessert! So heavenly! Especially my home-made butterscotch sauce!!

Comments

apparentlyjessy said…
Oh my goodness that looks so heavenly! I want some right now please! I will definitely try this one, definitely definitely! And the sauce sounds good too! :)
Ohhh that looks so delicious! I love warm peanut butter, so I'd totally gobble these straight from the oven! :D
Pen Pen said…
I have to come back and comment later---This is like the time I was on a diet and running on a treadmill at the gym and this woman switched the tv to 'unwrapped'...I'm gonna pass out these look so good....it's a problem! ur fault! :)
What a job you have done, this one's looking SO delicious! :))
leonine said…
That look sooo yummy, i'm salivating...
Ali said…
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I ended up making these brownies as a gift for a friend. They were very well received, and delicious. :)

I followed your advice, and only used 1/2 a cup of peanut butter which I think was good. Anything else would have been overkill.

Thanks for the great recipe!

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