Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I am not quite sure what got into me that I decided to make these brownies. But let me just be clear. These are trouble…

Like really tight pants kind of trouble.

Rich, gooey, peanut butter+chocolate=my kryptonite.

I kept seeing these little mini peanut butter cups around.

And eventually, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I had to bake them into something!

So I folded them into this super rich brownie batter and slathered them in peanut butter chocolate ganache. nuff said.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies, makes 12
1 ¼ sticks of butter, cut into small pieces
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 TBS AP flour
8 oz reese’s peanut butter cup mini’s
Peanut Butter Ganache:
2/3 cup cream
2 cups dark chocolate pieces
2 Tbs peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare an 8×8” pan with tin foil (two sheets creating an x with a 2 inch overlap of foil) and then spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter until no longer foaming and the butter has browned, about 5 minutes.

While you are waiting for the butter to brown, combine the sugar, cocoa, water, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a mixer.

Add the hot butter and scrape all of the browned bits into the bowl of the mixer and then whip to combine.

With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time.

Then add the flour to combine.

Add the peanut butter cups and briefly mix in.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a dampened spatula.

Bake 25 minutes and remove from oven. Let cool.

When they have cooled enough to handle the pan, place it in the freezer at least 20 minutes.

To make the ganache:
In a small sauce pan, heat the milk and peanut butter until almost boiling.

Meanwhile, place the chocolate pieces in a medium heatproof bowl.

Dump the hot milk over the chocolate and leave for about 5 minutes.

When you have let the chocolate and milk sit and they look melted, whisk vigorously with a metal whisk until thick and glossy.

Let the ganache cool for a bit.

Spread the ganache evenly over the brownies. Place in the freezer for about an hour.

Use the foil to pull the brownies out of the pan (ignore the misleading picture. USE THE FOIL, or you will have a mess on your hands!!) and place on a cutting board. peel the foil off while the brownies are frozen.

Trim the edges off of the brownies.

Slice into pieces and enjoy!