Sweet Your Heart Out: Homemade Peanut Butter Brownies

HELLO PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS!!!

This one is for you.....

There are not many days in a week that pass by where I don't have a craving for a nice warm brownie. Brownies are very welcome in the Fanning kitchen. The hubs has never met a brownie he didn't like. The same goes for me. I really had not planned on doing a lot of baking or cooking this week. But something caught my attention as I was waltzing through the grocery store aisles today. I hadn't planned ahead or chosen any recipes which meant I didn't have an ingredient list. What could I bake that would be a no-brainer, quick and easy (something I could finish while the hubs and baby were taking their standard Sunday afternoon naps)? I was standing there blocking cart traffic when all of a sudden a lightbulb flickered on in my head. Peanut butter brownies. Wow. I figured that I could make the basic from scratch brownie that I'd used to make the cookies 'n' cream brownies that we devoured a few weeks ago....but instead of the Oreos I'd use some peanut butter chips. I didn't even know that Nestle Tollhouse made such a thing....but they do. And I was happy. I found myself standing there trying to imagine how close it would feel to heaven of earth if I could pull off these brownies. But they needed one more thing. Peanut butter frosting? Yes. Yes, that's it. Here we go!

Ingredients:

Brownies:
*4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate; coarsely chopped
*3/4 cup butter
*1 1/2 cups sugar
*3 eggs; lightly beaten
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/4 tsp kosher salt
*1 cup all purpose flour
*1 package milk chocolate/peanut butter chips

Frosting:
*1 stick butter
*3/4 cup peanut butter
*2 cups confectioner's sugar
*4 Tbsp milk


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 9×9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray

2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.

3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined.

5. For frosting:  Mix softened butter and peanut butter in bowl with mixer. Add in confectioner's sugar gradually while mixing and then add milk to get desired consistency.

6. Let brownies cool completely and then spread frosting on top.


I just have to quote the hubs on this one as he spoke with a big bite full of brownie: "babe, these are dangerously good." I actually gave myself a lil pat on the ol' back after this recipe. I was pretty proud that I could make my own frosting without following a recipe (simple, but I was proud nonetheless). These treats were 1)moist 2)delightful 3)addicting 4)all gone. Or almost all gone. I still have a few that are going to find good homes tomorrow. Like he said...."dangerously good." I can't take the chance. ;) Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!