Bake Me Happy - Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

It seems that lately the only thing on my mind is desserts. 

What kind can I make and when am I gonna eat them. 

That's it. 

Everything else seems to get lost in my thoughts of chocolate, cakes, brownies, truffles and the occasional cupcake. 

Like yesterday...it was Super Bowl Sunday and everyone around me was getting all caught up in the Pre-Game shows and the chips, dips, wings and big bowls of chili. 

I, on the other hand, was lost some where in a swirl of peanut butter and chocolate.  I dug through my kitchen frantically looking for some Reese's peanut butter cups to satiate my craving. 

But found none.  UGH! 

When out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my jar of Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.  Have you had this stuff?  I seriously love it.  Like floating red hearts in the sky kinda love.  It is totally swoon worthy! 

I figured I would just dunk a chocolate bar in the jar of peanut butter and shovel it in my face.  You know, old school style.  Pre-Reese's Peanut Butter cup style.  I admit it, I've been known to do this on occasion.   

Its cool, I'm not embarrassed about it.

One problem, NO CHOCOLATE BARS!  What tha?  I started to jump in my truck and drive off to the nearest grocery store and buy a pound of them when it hits me...

BROWNIES!  Oh yea bay-bee!  My fail safe dessert.  They never fail to deliver all my hearts sweetest desires of rich dark, gooey chocolate.  They are faithful like that and I love them for it.

So I busted out my tried and true recipe.  I've talked about this here in case you missed it :)  And mixed it all up and dumped it into my brownie pan.

I seriously saw the jar of peanut butter give me the "come hither" look while curling its finger at me gesturing for me to come and get it.  It begged me to put it into my brownie batter.  How could I deny it this wish?

And so I did!  And then I ate them...and felt good about it.  So good, I even shared a few...and they felt good about them too :)

Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

by AKM designs and delights adapted from King Arthur Flour

Keywords: peanut butter chocolate brownie

Ingredients (12 large brownies)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 c. sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 c. Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp espresso powder - I use Starbucks Via
• 1 TB vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 c. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. Peter Pan Honey Roasted Peanut Butter (or any other kind you may have)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Or simply combine the butter and sugar, and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Continue to heat (or microwave) briefly, just until the mixture is hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the mixture to this point will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Melt Peanut Butter in a microwave safe bowl for approximately 30 seconds. You want in to be the consistency of syrup.

Drizzle thick lines over brownie batter and pull through with a knife to "infuse" into batter.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Enjoy with an ice cold glass of moo-juice (milk)!

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So where has your head been lately?  Are you dreaming up new decorating ideas or ways to decorate your your dessert ideas?

You may find this post partying in the following places:

Monday:  Debbie Doos - The Girl Creative - Skip to My Lou - Craft O Maniac - Lisa's Craft Blog - The DIY Show Off -Everything Under the Moon

Tuesday:  Not Just A Housewife - My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Clean and Scentsible - Crazy For Crust - recipes - Uncommon Designs

Wednesday:  Savvy Southern Style - Blue Cricket Design - Seven Thirty-Three - Someday Crafts - Michele Raven Designs/

Thursday:  Delightful Order - Something Swanky - Recipes - The How To Mommy - A Little Nosh          

Friday:  Finding Fabulous - Chic on a Shoestring Decorating - Fingerprints on the Fridge - Shabby Nest - Whipperberry – Miss Mustard Seed - French Country Cottage - Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), 

I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate), Bacon Time, Fusion Friday (Jane Deere Blog).