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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When I was 12 I decided I was going to be able to make the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. I made it my project every time I had extra time and I tried a zillion different things and a zillion different recipes. My family suffered through some really disgusting cookies before I discovered that it wasn’t about the ingredients, but the technique.

The two best tips I can give you - after way too many batches - are simple

1. Blend the sugar and butter until they are a paste. No lumps at all.

2. After adding the eggs and vanilla, whip that shit up. Do not stop until it has changed color. Changing color means the air has been incorporated and these cookies will be light and fluffy.

Ali Hedin’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 35

1 cup butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

1 ½ cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars until creamy and completely blended.

STEP 2

Add eggs and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy. Do not skimp on this step! Keep whipping it - you cannot over whip.  In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.

STEP 3

Add in dry ingredients until just barely incorporated.  Then add in the chocolate chips and mix well.  It’s great if they break up a little bit.

STEP 4

Scoop dough onto a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until the edges are browned but the center is still light brown.  Let rest 5 minutes on a cookie sheet then transfer to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week – but no longer!

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These cookies became my favorite and almost surpassed traditional chocolate chip cookies in my house.  I made these last week and the kids went crazy. That’s when I realized I’d never posted them here! I’ve been making them for 100 years and I can’t believe I haven’t shared them with you yet. These are really good. Like really.

The trick is to use the best quality cocoa powder you can find.  Cheap ones often leave a chalky flavor to the finished product.  The good stuff creates a smooth chocolate flavor that permeates the cookie entirely.  I also discovered in my testing of these cookies that the critical step is to blend the cocoa with the butter and sugars. Cocoa powder is a dehydrated product - I discovered that if I “rehydrate” it with the butter, it cooks up to a gooey texture. Most recipes include cocoa powder with the dry ingredients, but then it doesn’t have time to rehydrate and it turns to a dry flaky consistency.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Dutch Process cocoa powder

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy.  Add cocoa and incorporate on low speed.  Increase to high speed and beat until mixture lightens in color. 

STEP 2

Beat in vanilla then eggs, one at a time, incorporating completely after each egg is added. 

STEP 3

In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to the cocoa mixture slowly and mix until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. 

STEP 4

Drop one inch balls of dough on a cookie sheet using a small ice cream scoop.  Place cookie sheet in hot oven and cook 10-12 minutes until cookies are no longer shiny on top.  Let cool on cookie sheet 10 more minutes.  Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

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Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you prefer the classic? Here’s my chocolate chip cookie that is literally the perfect chocolate chip cookie!