It’s very rare that I have a craving for anything sweet. If you have read this blog for any period of time, you know I would skip dessert for chips and salsa, and that I find most sweet things to be way too much. But lately, I have had peanut butter and chocolate on the brain, and this weekend I decided to do something about it.
I scanned lots of websites for brownie recipes and finally came across a recipe that was for peanut butter brownies, no chocolate involved. The recipe was perfect as I had all of the ingredients in the house already (subbing butter for margarine)
The addition of peanut butter to the batter really gave it a thick, creamy texture, and it smelled amazing. I cut back on the sugar called for in the recipe just a bit to make room for semi-sweet chocolate chips. While the peanut butter would be great by itself some days, I needed my chocolate peanut butter fix!
The end result was perfect. I always end up cooking things for less time than the recipe requires, and it usually works like a charm. I loved the texture of these, moist and buttery but with a bite here and there from the chocolate chips.
I would make a few changes to the recipe next time. I would add more peanut butter to enhance that peanut butter flavor even more, and I would leave out the vanilla. Even the tiniest bit of vanilla extract in a dessert seems to overwhelm me. That’s some strong stuff!
These made a nice dessert and also a perfect pairing for a cup of tea on a rainy Monday morning. I am going to DC for Eat, Write, Retreat this weekend and despite the gloomy weather outside, am trying to keep upbeat. Spring has to be somewhere out there!
What is your favorite dessert combination? How are you dealing with our extended winter?
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup margarine, softened
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ). Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, cream together peanut butter and margarine. Gradually blend in the brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven, or until the top springs back when touched. Cool, and cut into 16 squares.
