Wednesday, May 22, 2013

"Best" Brownies

"Best" Brownies - made May 14, 2013, recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

This was the name on the allrecipes site but I put the "best" in quotation marks since "best" is a relative term.  I needed to make another rendition of my Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies and I couldn't resist trying a different brownie recipe for the base.  Usually I can scan a recipe and predict how it'll turn out.  Because this one gets its chocolate flavor only from cocoa powder, I figured this would make a dark chocolate base that would pair well with the lighter and sweeter peanut butter crunch topping.  The baking powder would also make a lighter texture than a brownie without any chemical leavening.

I was actually right on how this turned out.  It was good but I wouldn't consider it particularly memorable.  If I had made it as a standalone brownie, I'd probably be more critical of it but since I paired it with the topping, it served its purpose nicely.  Sometimes I think I make the brownie just so the Snickers, peanut butter cups and peanut butter crunch topping will have something to sit on.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Peanut Butter Crunch Topping

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8 x 8" pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.  Beat in cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder until batter is smooth and glossy (do not overmix).  Pour batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  4. A few minutes before brownies are done, sprinkle top with chopped peanut butter cups and Snickers.
  5. Prepare Peanut Butter Crunch Topping and spread over baked brownie, covering peanut butter cups and Snickers completely.  Let cool, cut into squares and serve.

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