Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Peanut butter and chocolate is such a classic combination - I can’t imagine a better dessert than incorporating peanut butter into a brownie. These brownies are especially fudgy and gooey and perfect for a ribbon of peanut butter.

This is the kind of thing I will make for a football watching party because they are done the day before, they are crazy rich so you don’t need a huge batch, and they are epic - so they will disappear fast! They are also not too hard to make, so they seem like you worked hard (homemade brownies!) but they are as simple as a regular cookie.

The thing that may throw you off is the double boiler. Really, this is a bowl over a pot of hot water. You’re trying to slowly melt the chocolate and butter together to get it to be liquidy. You can do this in a microwave too, it’s just a little more effort because you have to keep checking it and starting the microwave again. The double boiler - over a medium low heat - will do the work itself with just a little whisking.

The only other “trick” to remember is to go super slow when adding the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. If you go too fast, the eggs will turn into little bits of scrambled eggs and that’s not delicious in a brownie. I just turn on the mixer, go slow, and let it splash a little bit. As long as you’re pouring slow and the mixer is on low, the splashing won’t be too bad.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

makes about a dozen

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate

8 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Make a double boiler by layering a glass bowl over a boiling pot of water. Place the 8 tablespoons butter and 8 ounces chocolate in the double boiler and whisk over medium heat until melted.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend together the brown sugar and eggs until smooth. With the mixer running, pour the chocolate in a slow steady stream. If you go too fast, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.

STEP 3

Once the chocolate has been incorporated, stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. When everything is just incorporated, scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

STEP 4

In a separate bowl, combine remaining butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Dot the top of the brownies with the peanut butter mixture and swirl in to incorporate.

STEP 5

Pop into the oven and bake 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Or clean-ish - a few crumbs will come up at the very end.

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