A MUST MAKE - PEANUT BUTTER CUP BROWNIES

I noticed my readership escalates when I make desserts. To be perfectly honest, the holiday season of '09 wiped me out, baking-wise. Anyhow, I decided it was a great time to put my mixer back to work. These brownies can be a bit of work since they are layered, but I assure you, they are well worth the effort. My son, who is four, told me, "Mommy, I like you ALOT," when I let him sample a brownie. I brought them to the salon while I got my hair highlighted and the owner told me (jokingly), "I HATE YOU!" because I was breaking her diet. If you want to save sometime, the brownie bottom can be made the night before and the frosting and toppping can be added the following morning. It does take at least an hour for the frosting and topping to set, so bare that in mind. Enjoy!
Ingredients for the Brownies
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips( I used to packages of Ghiardelli's semi-sweet baking squares)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Ghiardelli's powder)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Frosting
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of smooth peanut butter
3 TBSP of whole milk
Peanut Butter Cup Topping
25-30 minature Peanut Butter Cups, sliced into 4 pieces each
1/4 cup of chocolate and peanut butter chips, melted
Directions for Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of an 8 x 8 square baking pan (or line with parchment paper).In a medium bowl combine flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Put the chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat but keep the bowl over the water and whisk in sugars and vanilla until completely combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature. Add in the eggs one, one at a time, whisking lightly after each addition. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just combined. Do not over beat! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
Directions for Frosting
Add peanut butter and softened butter to mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue to mix. Add milk, 1 TBSP at a time, and continue to mix until frosting is the desired consistency. Spread on cooled brownies.
Directions for Topping
Slice 25-30 minature cups into 4 slices. As you slice, add the cups on top of the frosting. The candy can overlap slightly, just be sure to cover the entire surface of the frosting. In a microwave safe bowl, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, then stir. Repeat this step for another 30-45 seconds, until completely melted and creamy. Let it cool, then add mixture to a Ziploc bag. Snip one corner of the bag with a scissor and decoratively drizzle the mixture in any uncovered spots of frosting. Let the brownies set for at least ONE HOUR in the refrigerator before serving.

Good Old Fashioned Brownies

I volunteered to make brownies for my son's pre-school Halloween party. I always panic when I have to bake for a large group. This time, I wanted to make two pans full of brownies and naturally, I only had enough semi sweet chocolate to make one pan. I called my mother in law in a panic to see if she had any on hand and thankfully, she showed up on my doorstep bearing a bag of semi sweet chocolate chips. I had to keep the recipe simple. Not nuts of any kind were to be used, due to a student with allergies. As usual, I turned to my girl, Martha Stewart, for a suitable recipe. Two bits of advice - 1. It does matter what kind of chocolate you use in the recipe. For one pan, I used the semi sweet chocolate baking squares I had in the house. THAT pan was predominantly better than the pan made with the chocolate chips. Don't get me wrong, both pans were great, but the baking squares' pan had a little something extra. 2.  Your brownies will be cooked, just chewier if you only cook them for 30 minutes as opposed to 35 minutes. So, if you prefer the brownies chewier, shave off 5 minutes cooking time. Just check the brownies with a tooth pick to make sure that they are indeed cooked. Every oven is different, so my 30 minutes may be your 32 minutes. Served with a side of chocolate ice cream, these are sure to please.

Martha Stewart's Double Chocolate Brownies
Makes 9 large or 16 small squares
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces coarsely chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing 2 inches to hang over sides. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside. Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.