Almond Butter Swirl Brownies

Almond Butter Swirl Brownies - made August 2, 2020, modified from Vintage Kitchen Notes

If you want something different from the traditional peanut butter chocolate combination, try this brownie recipe that uses almond butter as the swirl-in.

Almond butter has a thicker consistency than peanut butter but the oil separates out more easily, especially if your jar of almond butter has been sitting for awhile. Make sure you whisk it to incorporate the almond oil back in if it's separated before measuring out and using.

Almond butter provides a more gritty texture than smooth peanut butter but the almond bits or "grit" are smaller than chunky peanut butter. This makes a fudgy brownie; the almond butter swirl breaks up a bit of the richness of the fudgy chocolate part of the brownie. I liked this one for the texture, the thickness with which the brownie baked into and the durability for mailing. Thumbs up.

Brownies
3/4 cup (4.5 ounces) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Almond Butter Swirl
2/3 cup almond butter
5 tablespoons (40 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Brownies: Melt the chocolate and butter in the top half of a double boiler set over hot water, whisking until melted, smooth and combined. Cool slightly.
3. Mix in granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, vanilla extract and cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Add flour in two additions, mixing after each addition until just combined. Do not overmix. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
4. Almond Butter Swirl: in a medium bowl, mix together almond butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream until smooth. If mixture is too thick, warm for 20 seconds in the microwave and stir.
5. Drop spoonfuls on top of the brownie base and swirl lightly with a knife. Do not overmix or blend.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake. Cool completely before cutting and serving.