Want a deliciously dense and fudgy brownie? The base recipe for these is all you need.
Want to take it to a new level with a swirl of one of the most addictive food products I’ve ever tried? Keep reading.
When I first spied a jar of chocolate peanut butter, I knew it would be love. What I didn’t realise was that it would be so good I would eat about a third of a jar in one go, spoonful by spoonful.
Yes I am a massive fatty.
When I needed to bake something to take to a party, that would be relatively quick and simple, didn’t need a long time to cool down or be iced, and that could be served in bite-sized portions, brownies were the obvious choice.
Inspired by these Nutella swirl brownies, I decided to buy another jar of the chocolate peanut butter and swap that in instead – a brilliant decision, if I can say so without sounding too boastful!
I used my favourite brownie recipe as the base, then just swirled the slightly warmed chocolate peanut butter on top.
Because I was in a rush, I cut the brownies while they were still slightly warm, which meant the chocolate peanut swirls were gooey and the process was rather messy, but the end result was totally worth it.
If you like the chocolate-peanut combination, you must try these, seriously. Writing about them and looking at the photos has made me realise how much I miss them, and another batch may have to happen soon.
Just as long as the chocolate peanut butter doesn’t mysteriously disappear from the jar first…
Chocolate peanut butter swirl brownies (adapted from Apple and Spice)
- 140g butter
- 200g dark chocolate
- 180g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 85g plain flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 100g milk chocolate, chopped
- 150g chocolate peanut butter
Heat the dark chocolate and butter over a pan of simmering water until melted and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, then stir in the sugar. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until well mixed and glossy. Sift in the flour and baking powder, mix until fully combined, then stir in the chopped chocolate.
Spread the brownie mixture into a greased and lined 8×8″ square tin. Heat the chocolate peanut butter in the microwave for 20 seconds or so, just to soften it up a little. Spoon in dollops over the top of the brownie batter, then gently swirl in with a knife or skewer, making sure not to over-mix.
Bake at 170 degrees (150 fan) for 25-30 minutes, until the brownies are crisping on top but a skewer still comes out with some crumbs. Leave to cool for as long as you can, then cut into squares and serve.
