Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies

For about a year now, I have been reading my friend Dawn's facebook status updates about these brownies. She makes them all the time for her husband, Scott. She makes them for him. She makes them for him when he has friends over. She makes them all the time! When the cookie challenge was presented, I asked her if she was going to make them. No? Well, at that point I begged her to please let me make them and share them with the world! These are husband-pleasing brownies! Perhaps you might want to make some of these for your husband this holiday season. They are sure to be a winner!

Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies

by Sandra Simmons

but totally inspired by Dawn and Scott Harmon  

adapted from Anna at Cookie Madness

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 scant teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup (generous) peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Swirl:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Topping:
½ cup peanut butter (creamy)
½ teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Drizzle:

1 ½ to 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8" x 8" baking dish with parchment paper with a two-inch overhang. The overhang acts like handles that will allow you to easily lift these brownies right out of the pan. Butter the baking dish before you place the parchment paper in it and butter the parchment paper after as well.

Stir the first three ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar together until combined, then add the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients. Add the batter to your prepared baking dish, pressing it so that the batter is even.

Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, a double boiler or just on very low heat in a small saucepan like I did. Once melted, take a spoon and drop some chocolate here and there and then drag a knife through the chocolate to create the swirl in the brownie. (I found that you end up with less of a swirl and more of a chocolate layer but I didn't really care, because it's so delicious!)

Bake for 30 minutes.

Once the brownies come out of the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes. While they are cooling, prepare the topping. Stir all topping ingredients together and carefully pour and spread the mixture over the entire top of the brownies like a frosting or a ganache. Set your timer for an hour and cool the brownies completely.

Once cooled, you are ready for the final step. Melt the chocolate. I followed the instructions on the original recipe which called melting the chocolate in a ziploc bag. Before my chocolate was melted completely, there were holes in the bag. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend that method! You can melt your chocolate any way you choose and then drizzle it by allowing it to fall off the end of a spoon, fork, or knife. Or you can put the chocolate in a ziploc bag and snip a hole in the corner and use it like a pastry bag. Whichever way you choose, it's chocolate! It's going to taste great!

Chill the brownies for about 2 hours in the refrigerator or until the chocolate is hardened. Use the parchment paper overhang as handles, pull the brownies out of the pan, cut then into squares and enjoy!