Triple Layer Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

So the blizzard they predicted didn’t turn out to be a blizzard after all. It was more like a respectable snow storm, dumping a good 8-10 inches on us before making its way out. My husband was happy because he got to use his new toy—the mega snow blower—and I was happy because it meant the roads were just bad enough to give us an excuse to stay inside together all weekend long. During the day, we chased the baby around the house (he’s just starting to take his first steps) and played fun little infant games (think peek-a-boo and a really low-key version of hide and seek). And at night, once the baby went to bed, my husband and I got to cuddle up, pop in some good movies, and enjoy being stuck indoors.

Now I even though I made my blizzard brownies right before the storm, I did have to take advantage of the extra at-home time and whip up a second batch of deliciousness, this time in the form of triple layer brownies.

These brownies are really rich. Imagine a moist, chocolate brownie bottom with a layer of buttery peanut butter cookie dough resting above it. Top it off with a generous coating of chocolate ganache, and you’ve got a recipe for one indulgent dessert.

Ingredients:
For the brownie layer:
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped
One stick of butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup AP flour
2 and ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

For the peanut butter cookie dough layer:
½ cup butter
1 and ½ cups AP flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 and ¼ cups smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking power
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the ganache topping:
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 and ½ teaspoons confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon milk
¼ cup heavy cream

Method:
For the brownie layer:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving enough for an overhang (you’ll need this to get the brownies out later).
2. In a microwave, heat the chocolate and butter on 50% power until melted. (I recommend doing this in 45-second intervals and stirring in between.)
3. Whisk in sugars and salt until smooth. Then, whisk in the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Add your flour and cocoa powder to the wet mixture and stir until well-combined.
5. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. While the brownies cool, you can move on to the next step.

For the peanut butter layer:
1. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then, add in the peanut butter and beat on medium for 2-3 minutes, or until well-combined.
2. Whisk together your flour, salt, and baking powder; then add to the peanut butter mixture and beat at low-medium speed until well-combined. Add your vanilla and mix well.
3. Once the brownies have been cooling for about 30 minutes (they don’t need to be completely cool, just not right out of the oven), spread the peanut butter cookie dough on top of the brownie layer. The top might start to sink in, and that’s okay. Put your pan back in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top turns a nice golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
4. Let the brownies cool for about an hour, then make and add the ganache.

For the ganache topping:
1. Combine the chocolate, confectioners sugar, peanut butter, and milk in a bowl. Heat the mixture in the microwave at 50% until somewhat (but not totally) melted.
2. In a small saucepan or microwave, heat the heavy cream until it just starts to boil. Immediately whisk it into the chocolate mixture until it looks nice and smooth.
3. Pour the ganache over the peanut butter cookie dough layer and resist the urge to cut into these babies until the topping has enough time to set. I recommend waiting at least an hour with the brownies in the fridge, or two hours if you decide to leave them at room temperature.

Feb 8

Blizzard Brownies

Living in the Northeast means you have to expect snowstorms at least once in awhile. Today is apparently one of those days. They’re calling the impending storm a weather event of epic proportions, or something ridiculously dramatic along those lines. I mean, I get it: You want people to be prepared. And that’s fine. But I just find it a touch annoying that every storm that rolls around these days is hailed as the biggest, baddest version of anything we’ve ever known.

Now, having gotten that rant out of the way, I will say that it looks like we’ll be stuck at home for the next day or so. And based on previous experiences, we can’t really rule out the possibility of a power outage. See, most people’s power companies are equipped to handle weather-related outages. Mine isn’t. So generally, when the power goes out, it stays out for awhile. And while we did invest in a generator, we can only use it to power so many appliances at a time—which means if we do wind up with an outage, my ability to bake will be seriously hampered. And since I obviously can’t risk being cooped up for the weekend without an ample supply of sweets on hand, I decided to take a few minutes to whip up a batch of brownie goodness.

These brownies are, simply put, super yummy. They’re definitely dense and intense, but they’re not quite as sweet as your average brownie. I like how the coffee flavor really comes out and complements the rich dark chocolate without being too overpowering. And these are definitely the kind of brownies that would go well with a nice scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. So if you’re expecting to be stuck indoors this weekend, take 15 minutes out of your evening (yes, that’s really all you need to throw these together, including cleanup) and bake yourself some brownies. Then go grab a blanket, queue up your favorite movie, and enjoy some delightfully delicious downtime. You can worry about clearing out your driveway tomorrow.

Blizzard Brownies (or, for some context, Intense Dark Chocolate Brownies)

Ingredients:
1 cup AP flour
2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup confectioners sugar,plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon instant coffee
¾ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
½ cup dark chocolate chips (again, I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
1.   Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
2.   In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, instant coffee, and salt.
3.   Add in the eggs one at a time, and mix well (I recommend using a spoon instead of a whisk—the batter will be quite thick at this point, and it may be easier to work with a spoon).
4.   Add in the oil, water, and milk, and mix well.
5.   Stir in the chocolate chips.
6.   Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Wait about 20 minutes and then dust with confectioners sugar.
7.   Let the brownies cool completely before cutting into them. Or, if you’re me, reject the notion of self-control and grab yourself a warm, gooey bite shortly after they come out of the oven. Either way works, I suppose.

Feb 7

Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars

Sometimes a plain old brownie just doesn’t cut it. Or at least that was my way of thinking when I decided to go for something a little more jazzed-up on the brownie front.

These brownies are awesome and delicious. You get a buttery shortbread crust, a gooey caramel layer, and a soft, chewy brownie on top. What more could you want? The only downside is that they do take a bit of time to prepare, as there are multiple steps involved. (I made these over the weekend…no way do I have time for multi-step baking during the week.) But if you have the time, and the patience (which is just as important), do yourself a favor and bake up a batch of these beauties. Have I mentioned how utterly delicious they are?

Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars
From myrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups (3/4 lb.) butter
2 and 1/2 cups AP flour
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces individually wrapped soft caramels, such as Kraft
1/4 cup whole milk
10 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:
To make the crust:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cut up 1 cup of butter into chunks.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, cornstarch, and the butter chunks.
4. Process until the dough comes together and press it evenly over the bottom of a buttered 9×13 baking pan.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown.
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding the next layer.
To make the caramel layer:
1. Unwrap your caramels and place them in a microwave-safe bowl with the milk.
2. Cook in a microwave oven on full power for one minute. Stir the mixture, then cook and stir at 30-second intervals until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes longer.
3. Spread caramel mixture evenly over cooled crust and chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
To make the brownies:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pour chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup butter into a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water). You can also use a double boiler. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth.
3. With a whisk or a mixer on medium speed, beat in remaining 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well-blended.
4. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, and salt until well-blended.
5. Pour chocolate mixture over caramel layer and use a knife or spatula to spread level, completely covering caramel.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before cutting into bars.