Peanut Butter Mocha-Maple Brownies

December 8, 2010


When you just want to relax & indulge in something rich and satisfying, I can't think of anything more blithe than a brownie (or three...who's counting?). Especially when the brownie is laced with peanut butter. Dark chocolate + peanut butter are savagely deadly - Bonnie and Clyde of the confectionery world. Lethal, dangerous and undeniably irresistible. I would mar my perfect record and do time for these brownies.




Peanut Butter Mocha-Maple Brownies(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Mocha Brownie batter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon of espresso powder
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Maple Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ganache frosting (optional but may lead to remorse if skipped.)
1 1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method
Brownies; preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Spray the foil and set aside.
Prepare the batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk granulated sugar and espresso powder into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated. Set aside while you make the filling.

Filling; in a large bowl, on low speed, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt until smooth.
Pour about one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before ganaching.

Ganache; put chocolate chips into a medium-size heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
Using small concentric circles, gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.
Pour/spread the ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 12-14 brownies

22 comments:

  1. That combo is awesome! Your brownies are irresistibly fudgy.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are just lethally incrediblicious. Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  3. These brownies are skipping to the top of my "to try" list!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is officially the first recipe I am making upon my return home from college, I CAN'T WAIT to try these!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yum, Valerie, I haven't had a good brownie for so long. These look delicious, and I agree about peanut butter and chocolate being the Bonnie & Clyde of the confectionary world. Yum!
    Ooh, and I'm going over to Club Northwestern now. Never been there...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Valerie, I'm back. You're on the front page of their site! That's so cool. It's a cute write up too. Now, they just need to give you a trial run as their cook. I think they should...;)

    ReplyDelete
  7. these look delicious! i love peanut butter with chocolate and maple sounds like a great addition!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I gained 2 lbs just looking at this post~ lol These look like a chunk of heaven~

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, wow! I so want one of these right now, but I'll have to settle for cereal and coffee. I love chocolate and peanut butter together, and maple is in my blood. Yum! Going to check out your spotlight on the Club Northwestern site--that's so exciting.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. You consistently post the most amazing recipes on your blog, and this one is no different. I can't wait to see my family's jaws drop when I serve them these brownies!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Absolutely stunning.Our North American obsession with peanut butter is unique to the rest of the world, and they never seem to understand it. It is difficult for me to understand how they don't become as hooked as we are once they taste the concoctions created with peanut butter - like this one... I can only imagine how delicious it is. Anymore, with all of the allergies regarding peanuts, I am every so careful about baking with them or taking them out anywhere. Such a shame... both ways.
    :)
    Valerie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Valerie, I just checked out your profile on Club Northwestern. How exciting is that! It feels like you're getting really close....

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks, Stella and Beth!
    The fact that you both took the time to visit the link really means a lot. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just visited your Northwestern link!!! That's so great, Valerie! I hope, hope, hope things work out for your dream to come true soon. :-) These brownies are AMAZING!! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sweet gooey goodness! These look incredible. A delicious flavour combination and photos that make me drool!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Holy moistness! That second picture is just brownie perfection - especially with that thick, thick layer of ganache!

    Oh, I'd do time for these too...

    ReplyDelete
  17. How could you print this recipe or show those photos?

    I want to run to the kitchen to make them NOW in the middle of the night. I have printed the recipe and hopefully will get these baked very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Those brownies look amazing!! I just saw the Northwestern site, and only now have I finally understood your obsession with wanting to work there. It look awesome. Hope you get it, now that you're getting noticed by them!

    ReplyDelete
  19. There is one problem with this recipe that I just can't overlook:

    How am I supposed to wait for the brownies to completely cool to ganache them and NOM?

    ReplyDelete
  20. OH MY! I am lost which recipes to comment on first. your whole blog is just delicious!*drooling*

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi, Liz!
    I know, that is a conundrum. One can always slice off a few pieces pre-ganache...no one has to know how many there were. :-)

    Hello, Paty!
    Thank you! I love knowing that the recipes induce drooling. :D

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

une gamine dans la cuisine © All rights reserved · Theme by Blog Milk · Blogger