Preheat oven to 350° F. Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted; set aside and let cool.
In small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to beat together butter and sugars (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat in chocolate and flour mixtures. Mix just until combined. Fold in milk chocolate chunks.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
Notes
Brownie cookies are great for making homemade ice cream sandwiches. Scoop softened vanilla ice cream between two warm cookies for a memorable treat!
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium saucepan, stir dark chocolate and butter over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour and stir, just until combined. Fold in cookies.
Spread batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 3 rows by 3 rows to make 9 brownies.
Ingredients:
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 sandwich cookies, chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups and 1/2 cup pretzel twists or sticks, coarsely chopped, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening. Whisk together in large bowl the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add dark brown sugar, stirring until completely blended with butter. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture. When mixed, remove from heat and set aside. The mixture at this point will be very dry.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla. Incorporate egg mixture into brownie batter in the pan. Fold in 2 cups pretzels and 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
In medium bowl, stir together marshmallows, peanuts, 1/2 cup pretzels and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly over the top of brownie batter.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Let brownies cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 brownies.
If you knew me, you’d be surprised that I’d even consider creating a recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownies. Why, you ask? Let me lie down on the couch and explain. I’m one of those people who loves peanut butter, who likes jelly and jam – but is NOT a fan of peanut butter and jelly together. I don’t know why, so don’t ask me. Well, maybe I do know why.
When I think peanut butter and jelly, I think of PB&J sandwiches. Growing up in the 70’s, we used to have Smucker’s PB&J (Grape) in the cupboards. Strips of peanut butter and strips of jelly in a single jar – in theory – makes sense. It was the 70’s and we all craved for innovation in our kitchens (or at least our moms did). But in practice, having peanut butter and jelly in the same jar was nothing more than a blobby mess.
And as child #4 out of 6, we had an assembly line of PB&J sandwich-making each night to get school lunches ready for the next day. Add in that I loathe, loathe, loathe mushy bread, those PF&J sandwiches were not a fond memory from my childhood. Now if that’s among the most annoying things in my childhood, I really should not complain. But it left a psychic scar on my palate.
I usually consume my peanut butter separate from my jelly. Actually, as an adult male, I now gravitate toward blackberry jam. [Quite adult of me, don’t you think.] This PB&J aversion might not make sense to you. But consuming peanut butter separate from my jam makes perfect sense to my palate – and it satisfies three levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for me: physiological, safety and self-actualization (yes, honest to goodness self-actualization). Don’t let my crazy stop you from trying this combination in your next brownies.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownies
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Beat butter, brown sugar and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, and then mix well. Beat in flour and salt until well blended. Fold in chopped dark chocolate.
Spread batter in the prepared baking pan. Drop jam by spoonfuls over batter, and then swirl into the batter with a butter knife to create a marble effect. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Lightly dust with cinnamon-sugar mixture and cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 brownies.
Brownie Points: Jam is better for baking than jelly because it includes pieces of actual fruit, whereas, jelly is made up of only fruit juices. Use any of your favorite jams for this recipe. For a stronger flavor contrast against the dark chocolate, try strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup jam
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan and then remove from heat. Stir in sugar and water first, then eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in all dry ingredients (except dark chocolate chunks) and mix just until blended. Fold in dark chocolate chunks and hazelnuts. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Dust brownies with a cinnamon-sugar mix and cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Brownie Points: Substitute espresso powder for the cayenne pepper for a less spicy option.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cold water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
cinnamon-sugar mixture for dusting
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and maple syrup. Cream with paddle in a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Fold in bacon with spatula. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 14 to 18 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wiring racks. As the cookies cool, they will become very crunchy on the outside.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
16 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs
1 pound bacon, cooked slightly crispy and minced
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl. Add liqueur and eggs to the melted butter. Stir in all dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (8-inch pan) or 25-30 minutes (9-inch pan), or until the brownies are dry around edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Lightly dust brownies with confectioners’ sugar and cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Notes
Change the flavor profile by substituting the raspberry liqueur with your favorite flavored liqueur, such as coffee, Irish cream, black currant or orange.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stir semisweet chocolate and 3/4 cup butter until melted and smooth. Whisk in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking just until combined. Gently stir in flour, red food coloring, baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Let brownies cool completely, about 1 hour.
While brownies are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting. In medium bowl, use electric mixer on medium speed to beat cream cheese and remaining butter until creamy. Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.
Spread frosting on top of brownies. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup plus 3 T butter, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ounce red food coloring
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, just until combined.
Spread half of the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the broken graham crackers over the batter. Top the graham cracker layer with marshmallows. Spread the remaining batter on top of the marshmallows and graham crackers, cover them completely.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Brownie Points: For a decadent twist, substitute dark chocolate for the milk chocolate.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
9 graham cracker squares, broken into bite-sized chunks
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup miniature marshmallows
The only thing I hate about cooking is the clean up afterwards, so I love that this ginger brownies recipe uses only one saucepan to mix all the ingredients.
No-Bowl-Needed Ginger Brownies
Preheat your oven to 325° F. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In a medium saucepan, stir the dark chocolate and butter over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Spread the ginger brownies batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
1 /2 cup butter
3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated, peeled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Peanut butter just makes the world a better place! While the mix of peanut butter and chocolate is a universally popular flavor combination, it’s the texture of the crunchy peanut butter in these peanut butter brownies that makes them extra delicious. Don’t have crunchy peanut butter? Simply add some chopped roasted peanuts to creamy peanut butter.
Peanut Butter Whirled Brownies
Preheat your oven to 325° F. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stir 8 tablespoons butter plus chocolates together until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Take the chocolate mixture and whisk in the granulated sugar. Then add eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture, just until combined. Set aside.
For the peanut butter filling, stir together the 4 tablespoons butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.
Spread 1/3 of the batter in the prepared baking pan. Drop dollops of the peanut butter filling (1 tablespoon each) on top of the batter, spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the remaining batter on top and gently spread it to fill the entire pan. Drop dollops of the remaining peanut butter filling on top. With a butter knife, gently swirl the peanut butter filling by running knife lengthwise and crosswise through batter.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few dry crumbs. Let the peanut butter brownies cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 peanut butter brownies.
Ingredients:
8 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 eggs
2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Grease four mini loaf pans with non-stick spray. Set aside. In large bowl, beat butter, dulce de leche, brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Beat until combined.
Transfer batter to prepared pans, smoothing out tops. Bake until loaves turn a deep golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 60 to 75 minutes). Set aside and cool in pans for 45 minutes. Remove from pans.
Meanwhile bring pot of water to boil and add lime peel. Cook 1 minute, then quickly scoop out peel and blanch for 1 minutes in bowl of cold water. Cook and blanch the peel 2 more times using the same process and same boiling water. Remove peel. Bring a new 1/2 cup water and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar to boil. Add lime peel and cook, stirring frequently, until sugarcoated.
When cakes are partially cool, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk to form a glaze. Pour over loaves and top with candied lime. Cool completely and serve. (makes two 9-inch loaves or 4 mini loaves.)
