These brownies are, in a word, crack.
They are also, I learned very quickly, something that should only be made when it's cold outside. I had only ever made these 2 or 3 times last Christmas, and that is where they should have stayed until this Christmas. Oh, these are so very very very very GOOD, but also very very very very chocolate not setting up, so it becomes messy and what should be eaten by hand must be eaten by fork. That is no reason to hate these, though. Make them right now, if you want! I'm just telling you, the experience will be slightly better when it's colder outside, and the chocolate glaze has time to set up.
Peanut Butter Brownie Buddies
Ingredients:
| 6 Tbsp | Melted Butter |
| 1¼ cups | Sugar |
| 2 tsp | Vanilla, divided |
| 3 | Large Eggs, divided |
| 1 cup | Plus 2 Tbsp. Flour |
| ⅓ cup | Cocoa |
| ½ tsp | Baking Powder |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
| 14 oz | Sweetened Condensed Milk |
| ½ cup | Peanut Butter |
| ¾ cup | Peanut Butter Morsels |
| 1½ cups | Milk Chocolate Chips, divided |
| ¼ cup | Heavy Cream |
| 14 | Mini Peanut Butter Cup Candies, chopped |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Stir well to combine. Add 2 of the eggs and mix well. In another medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add dry mixture to first mixture and stir until well blended. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, the remaining egg and the remaining 1 tsp. of vanilla. Mix well, then add the peanut butter morsels and 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips. Stir well to combine. Remove brownie base from oven and pour peanut butter mixture over the hot base. Spread evenly and return pan to oven. Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until peanut butter layer is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely in pan. Combine the heavy cream and the remaining 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave at medium power for 45 - 60 seconds or until chocolate chips melt into cream when stirred. Drizzle mixture over the top of the cooled bars, then sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cup candies. Allow topping to set, then cut into 24 bars or use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Enjoy!
*I just have a couple of things to add. I use an entire bag of mini peanut butter cups because I felt that 14 of them didn't cover enough surface area. Also, I've done the cutting these out with cookie cutters and I don't recommend it. With all of the chocolate and peanut butter cups on top, it is a MESS! Although it is fun to eat the leftover scraps...
Look at that. Just look at it. That's all you need to do.
This is how it will look after you've taken it out of the oven the second time around.
Oh the layers! The layers of GOODNESS!!!
Recipe Source: Mixing Bowl
It's a Christmas recipe, so I'm sharing another one of my favorite obscure Christmas songs with you!!!