Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies
There’s a relatively new show on Food Network called, Desserts First. Since “desserts first” is my motto, I decided to try out one of the show’s most popular recipes, Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies.
This recipe is kind of similar to the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars I made last week, because it uses the same combination of chocolate and peanut butter. However, if you are more of a sinfully rich, chocolate fan, this is definitely the recipe you want to make.
The brownie base of the Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies is a rich, dense, and chewy fudge … Simply put, substituting boxed mix brownies for this recipe just doesn’t cut it. If you’re willing to put in the time, you’ll be rewarded with sinfully rich, bites of chocolate-peanut butter heaven.
Makes 24 servings.
Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies recipe by Anne Thorton:
Brownie Layer:
1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter, plus more, softened, for pan
1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- For your brownie batter: Melt butter in a medium (or large) heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
- While the butter is melting, whisk the cocoa powder, sea salt and sugar in a separate bowl. Whisk the cocoa/sugar/salt combo into the melted butter until the sugar has dissolved fully. The mixture should look like fudge and pull away from the bowl into a ball.
- Take off the stove and set the pan on a dishtowel on your counter. Allow the fudgy mixture to cool down until it’s warm, but not hot anymore.
- While that is cooling, line the bottom and sides of your 9 by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil. You want to leave about 4 inches of overhang on the 2 opposite sides. Grease the parchment or foil well.
- Stir in the vanilla into the cooled fudge mixture to loosen it up. Add the eggs into the mixture 1 at a time, until fully incorporated. The batter should look shiny and well blended.
- Add in your flour and stir it until it’s fully incorporated. Once it looks fully blended, beat the batter vigorously for at least 45 strokes. Fold in your chocolate chips.
- Spread the very thick and fudgy brownie batter evenly in the lined pan with an offset spatula or your greased hands.
- Pop the brownies in the oven and bake until they get a nice crust and your house smells like brownies, 30 to 35 minutes. Let them cool completely on a rack or a dishtowel on your counter.
- While the brownies are cooling, prepare buttercream and ganache.
Peanut Butter Buttercream:
1 cup creamy peanut butter (don’t use old-fashioned or natural)
½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼ tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups salted cocktail peanuts
- Mix your peanut butter and butter together in a stand mixer until they are totally blended.
- Turn your mixer down and slowly add your powdered sugar and fine sea salt. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Turn your mixer back to medium, add your milk and vanilla and keep mixing until it’s fully blended.
- Dollop the peanut butter buttercream in heaping spoonfuls on top of the cooled brownies. Evenly spread it with the back of a butter knife the over the surface.
- Scatter the peanuts evenly over the buttercream, pressing into the buttercream so that the ganache has something to hold on
Ganache:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
- Allow the ganache to cool down slightly for 10 minutes or so, then pour it evenly over the peanut butter buttercream layer.
- Smooth the ganache out with the back of a butter knife, making sure to cover the buttercream and peanuts completely.
- Chill the brownies in the refrigerator until the toppings are set, 1 1/2 hours or so.
- Remove these delicious guys from the refrigerator. Lift up the ends of the foil liner and place the Fudgy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies on a cutting board, cut into squares.
yummmmm. i want to make these with you!!
ill take this for my injuryyy treat in preseason 🙂
Oh. My. Goodness.
These look–and sound!–unreal!