Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Brownies

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

1¼ cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chunky peanut butter

3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped fine, or ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring until smooth and remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Cool chocolate to room temperature.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla. Into a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt and beat into butter mixture just until blended well. Divide batter between 2 bowls. Whisk peanut butter into batter in 1 bowl. Whisk melted chocolate into batter in other bowl and stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.

Spread peanut-butter batter evenly in pan. Drop chocolate batter by large spoonfuls onto peanut-butter batter and spread carefully to form an even layer. Bake brownies in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

From Sara Moulton
 

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