Chocolate peanut butter brownies

Just a few days ago, I saw a post over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe for something that I had to make...chocolate peanut butter brownies!  You might look at the brownies and wonder, "where's the peanut butter?", since there's no indication of it, no swirls to look at.  Like Nutella brownies, the peanut butter has been incorporated into the batter and while you do not see it, you will taste it.

There were a couple of reasons why this recipe called out to me.  Firstly, I always welcome an excuse to bake a batch of brownies!  Who's with me on that?  Secondly, I'm on the lookout for simple, fun, tasty things to bake with my son.  He had a break in summer camps this past week and when I saw the brownie post, I thought it would be a great thing for us to whip up together.  So once again, my little helper and I present another baking experiment from our summer kitchen!

We're really happy we made these chocolate-peanut butter brownies.  They are incredibly moist and fudgy in texture, yet surprisingly light at the same time.  You smell the heady aroma of the peanut butter and taste the creaminess and flavor it adds to the brownies.  They are a wonderful treat for those who love chocolate and peanut butter.  As someone who craves peanut butter a lot, they hit the spot for me and frankly, it was hard to stop eating them.

My son thought these would turn out to be like peanut butter cups (i.e., very good) and they didn't disappoint.  So not only did I get to have another fun baking session with my young fella but we got a great brownie recipe we'll surely be making and enjoying again in the bargain.

I think this (and brownies, in general) is a great thing to make with kids.  It's easy and you end up with a batch of brownies at the end of your efforts!  That has to be a surefire winner.

Though I try to look for recipes that don't use the stand mixer when I'm baking with my little guy so he gets more hands-on time, there was plenty to mix and stir up. Plus, he found it interesting to "work" the stand mixer and see how it functioned on different speeds and such.

Funny enough, my little/big guy sweetly thanked me the other day for baking with him.  He explained to me how he used to "hate it" when I dragged him into the kitchen but now he loves it.  Ha!  We've come a long way, it seems.  And when I said maybe we should make something savory next, he tells me it's okay because he's really into "bacon...and baking, lately."  Don't you adore 11-year old boy humor (and honesty)!   

But back to these brownies, the batter you end up with - one mixed with creamy peanut butter, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder, along with a cup of chocolate cups (in my half recipe) - will be a thick one.  Spread it around evenly with an offset spatula and bake in a 350 degree oven.  

I felt it was imperative that I watch the brownies to make sure they don't over-bake. You know how it goes with brownies.  Over-baking is always my number-one concern and when it's a batch of brownies I'm making with my son, the stakes are high (I really want them to turn out well!) so I watched it like a hawk near the end.  When all's said and done, the brownies took about 20-21 minutes, a bit longer than I would've thought.  You want a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the brownie to come out with some moist crumbs; it shouldn't be dry but it shouldn't be very wet either.  

Everything turned out well!  Once cooled, I sliced up our brownies into small squares. We love how moist and fudgy they are - like a super moist chocolate peanut butter cake that's actually quite light in texture.  I'm craving one as I write about it right now! 

We divided the original recipe in half and baked the brownie in an 8-inch square pan. If you don't bake quite as often as we do here, it makes a lot of sense to make a bigger batch!  I hear these brownies are delicious eaten cold from the freezer so you can always stock some away.  Plus, I think these are crowd-pleasers...assuming, of course, that your crowd consists of chocolate and peanut butter lovers...

Recipe: 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, who adapted it from a reader

- For an 8-inch square pan of brownies - 

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line it with a piece of parchment, with about a 2-inch overhang on two sides.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or electric hand mixer), cream butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy, about a minute or so.  Add sugar and beat until incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.  Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.  Add cocoa powder and stir together until no dry streaks of cocoa remain.  

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients to the batter and give it just a stir or two.  Add chocolate chips and then stir all together until combined, with no dry streaks in the batter.  Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the brownie comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 20-24 minutes; do not overbake!  Let brownies cool in the pan, then lift them out using the parchment overhang and slice into squares.