Life on Food: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies with a Peanut Butter Swirl

Decadent brownies with peanut butter swirled in and topped with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Peanut butter and chocolate is really a match made in heaven. They were made for each other. Growing up I wasn't able to enjoy this match up very often due to the fact that my mom is allergic to peanuts. It was just too dangerous to have messy kids around peanut butter.

I am clearly making up for time though now that I don't have to worry quite so much. We have all sorts of nuts in the house, about 10 different jars of peanut butter and always a jar full of Reese's Peanut Butter cups.

There were several ideas running through my head about what I should make this month for Roxana's Chocolate Party when she announced the chocolate pairing of peanut butter. I have made cookies and pie with chocolate and peanut butter in the past.

For this recipe I wanted something new and a bit over the top. Having peanut butter swirl brownies seems to get me closer to what I wanted to create but adding peanut butter cups was what really sealed the deal.

These brownies are over the top and I loved every bite of them. I have also realized that sweet treats make for an amazing thank you. We filled a big hole in our yard this weekend with free fill from down the road. To show our appreciation we gave him the last two brownies. Boy was he a happy fellow.

If you want to join the chocolate fun see the directions below:

1.) Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose. It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.
2.) Include a link back to the Chocolate party page. Optionally, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar.
3.) Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.
4.) Add the linky code at the bottom of your post.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies with a Peanut Butter Swirl

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate peanut butter brownies

Ingredients (serves 9)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2/3 cup Cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
20 REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped and quartered
1/2 cup creamy Peanut Butter

Instructions

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 8x8-inch baking pan.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add 2 cups sugar and cocoa; stir to blend. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Stir together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in 2/3 cup mini peanut butter cups; spread mixture in prepared pan.

In a microwave safe bowl combine peanut butter and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Place in microwave and cook for about 30 seconds until softened and just starting to liquify. Drop by tablespoons onto chocolate batter. Swirl with metal spatula or knife for marbled effect.

Sprinkle top of brownies with 1/2 of the cut up Peanut Butter cups.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until brownie starts to pull from edges of pan and is set.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of the Peanut Butter cups on top. Press gently into the brownies. The heat from the brownies will melt some of the chocolate to help blend into the brownies.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Makes 9 large brownies.