My goal this year is to be a bit more consistent with recipes ~ and let’s kick things off with one of my favorite flavor combinations:

Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

This recipe, which originally comes from the Food Network website, was something that caught my eye when I saw it on another blog several months ago ~ I was intrigued enough to make them but for reasons still unknown to me, they actually sat in my freezer for about two months.

Odd – yet it happened.

Anyway, I brought them out of cold storage to give to my nephew ~ as a “thank you” for helping me out last week ~ but alas, he has been busy working, my willpower ran out…………

And the rest is history ~ or should I say, the brownies are history.

These really are perfect in every way – the brownie has just the right amount of fudgy-ness, the peanut butter layer is smooth and a touch salty – and although I passed on the ganache topping, I really don’t think they needed it.

Of course, you may feel differently, but that’s your prerogative.

These are a definite keeper.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies – adapted from The Food Network

Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Layer:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ganache Layer:
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch pan with cooking spray.

Brownies: microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Stir until combined, then mix in the vanilla extract. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and add in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chunks. Spread the brownie mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean, about 22 to 28 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Peanut butter cookie dough: Add the butter and brown sugar to a large bowl and mix until creamy. Mix in the milk and the peanut butter, then stir in the flour and salt. Spread the peanut butter cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies.

Ganache: In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the ganache over the peanut butter layer and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until the dough and ganache are set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares and arrange on a serving platter to serve.

Second ~ congrats to me, because The Brownie Project was nominated as one of the best dessert blogs of 2010! How awesome is that?!

Third ~ thank you to everyone that has sent me recipes ~ I have not been able to try all of them yet, but I will!

Now, the moment you’ve all come here for…….

I’m on the fence with these brownies. I suppose it’s my own fault, because I got carried away with my own creativity. The original recipe was for Rocky Road Brownies – but I wanted to incorporate the s’more’s theme because that’s what the kids wanted.

The graham cracker crumbs seemed like a great idea – but in reality, they prevented the chocolate chips and marshmallows from adhering to the brownie base. Maybe I should have put the chips and marshmallows on first, then added the crumbs. Or baked the crumbs into the batter? Wait – what if I put a layer of crumbs in the middle of the brownie base, like you would for a coffee cake?

This will require more research.

S’More’s Brownies – adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan

1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup miniature marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch-square baking pan. Line pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two sides, then grease foil lightly.

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine butter and 1 cup chocolate chips. Heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat; stir in sugars and salt, then eggs, and finally flour, stirring just until combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs, remaining chocolate chips, then marshmallows. Bake until chocolate is shiny and marshmallows are puffed, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Using foil overhang, lift brownies onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares.

I procured the recipe from the Land O’ Lakes blog site – and let me tell you, make them sooner rather than later.

Crunchy from the oatmeal base and topping, with a mild chocolate center, plus they are easy to pack/transport – these bars are a winner all around.I can’t say enough good things about them!

Oatmeal Brownie Bars – adapted from Land O’ Lakes

Oatmeal Layer
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Brownie Layer
1/3 cup butter
3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all oatmeal layer ingredients in large bowl except butter. Cut in 2/3 cup butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/4 cups crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumbs into greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power), stirring twice, until chocolate is melted (30 to 60 seconds). Cool slightly.

Combine sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add melted chocolate mixture; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add 1 cup flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.

Drop chocolate mixture by tablespoonfuls over warm, partially baked crust. Carefully spread brownie layer evenly over crust; top with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are set. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Cool completely; cut into bars.

At that moment, he leaned across my desk and said, “I love brownies – with nuts. Pecans, if you have them. Otherwise, walnuts will do just fine.”

And as fate would have it, the Cookie of The Day (from Martha Stewart) that was delivered to my email inbox was (surprise!) Nut Brownies.

I baked up a full batch and took them to work the next day – and soaked up the praise and compliments. These were thick, cakey and really good. The baking powder in the batter helps them achieve their cake-like status – and they had just the right ratio of chewy-ness to cakey-ness. Not too strong, not too weak -  these were, to paraphase Goldilocks, “just right”.

I plan on making them again, without the nuts, so my family can enjoy them.

Nut Brownies – adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides. Spray the foil with nonstick spray, and set pan aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Place butter and chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes; remove bowl from pan. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs one at a time, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan; transfer to a rack to cool completely (still on foil). On a cutting board, using a dampened serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days, if they last that long. Otherwise, freeze for longer storage.

Say WHAT?

Seriously – these brownies come thisclose in flavor, texture and chocolatey-ness to Ina’s.

I was astounded, surprised, awestruck – pick your adjective here, these were fab-u-lous. When I draw up another Top 10 List, these will be Number 1. And yes, Ina’s still have their Number 1 status (on the other list), but aside from the obvious taste requirements, these required a whole lot less effort.

And sometimes, less effort+ almost identical flavor = a very good thing.

Double Chocolate Mocha Brownies – adapted from Epicurious.com

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 tbs. instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of foil to hang over ends of pan, and grease foil well (except overhang) with 1 tablespoon butter.
Melt remaining 11 tablespoons butter with unsweetened chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt (mixture will be grainy), then add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until batter is smooth.
Toss together flour and chocolate chips in another bowl and add to batter, stirring until just combined.
Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and edges just begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 minutes (do not overbake).
Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then carefully lift brownies from pan by grasping both ends of foil and transfer to rack to cool 10 minutes more. Cut into 32 squares and lift brownies off foil with a spatula.

Best in the world? Hmmm – not quite – but these brownies were amazing. The texture was perfectly chewy and fudgy, and the combination of chocolates really made them special. Would I make them again? Unequivocally yes!

My only complaint was that they were too thin. I do prefer them thicker – and in order to achieve that l would use a smaller pan next time, maybe a 9″ x 9″ square pan.

As is customary for me, I left out the nuts, and added a tablespoon of coffee powder to give them a flavor punch – in the hopes that my brownie-loving nephew would give these the same two thumbs up that he gave to Ina’s Outrageous Brownies.

And while he didn’t think these were worthy of 2 thumbs up, he did admit that they were very, very good.  Just not in the same league as Ina’s.

The Brownie That Started It All – adapted from Sara Brook

Vegetable oil cooking spray
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tbs. instant coffee powder (optional)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch pan with vegetable oil spray.

In a glass or ceramic bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, coffee powder, cocoa, and vanilla. Stir in the flour and salt. Add chopped semisweet and bittersweet chocolates.

Spread the batter in prepared pan. Bake about 25 minutes, just until brownies test moist but not wet. Cool completely before cutting.

I am so excited to be posting a new  recipe – it’s been a long time since I’ve baked any brownies, and quite frankly, I was starting to go through chocolate withdrawal.

And that’s dangerous for me.

But I am even more excited because I had several taste testers that were able to give me honest, unbiased reviews of these brownies.

Ready?

Taster #1: Great, but not as good as the Outrageous Brownies (this from someone who claims he isn’t crazy about chocolate).

Taster #2: Smooth, almost like a chocolate cake, but not overpoweringly rich. Very good.

Taster #3: Perfectly chocolatey, good texture – I like it, may I have another?

Here’s an interesting fact for you – all the tasters were men, ranging in ages 11 to 42. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

In my opinion, these brownies were really, really good – definitely worth making again. The recipe comes from Sherry Yard, pastry chef at Spago Restaurant – and the recipe isn’t complicated or difficult at all. I was hoping to sway my nephew (who ate ALL of my secret stash of Outrageous Brownies) into a new recipe, but alas, he wasn’t convinced.

I’ll just have to try another recipe!

Out Of This World Brownies – adapted from Sherry Yard

3/4 cup + 2 tbs all purpose flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with pan spray.

Sift together flour and salt and set aside.

Melt the butter and both chocolates (either in the microwave or on the stove). Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Allow to cool to 90F. (I did not take the chocolate’s temperature – I just waited until it cooled down a bit.)
Using a stand or hand mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until fluffy. With a whisk, gently beat in the butter and chocolate. Fold in the flour and chocolate chips.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and place in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through. Brownies should be slightly firm to the touch and a crust should form on the top. A toothpick will not come out clean.

Allow to cool in pan to room temperature before serving.

Fear not, I have not forgotten my quest of all things brownie, I simply took a brief hiatus and will be back (hopefully tomorrow) with a new brownie recipe.

Thanks for sticking around!

They are composed of a perfectly chewy blondie layer and a not-too-intense chocolate brownie layer.

I liked these – a lot. They have earned the distinction of being one of the few recipes that I’ve baked an entire batch of, just so I could have extras in the freezer.  Something about their simplicity really hit the spot.

The original recipe calls for a cup of walnuts to be sprinkled over the blondie batter before baking, but as you can see, I left them out. I contemplated throwing a handful of chocolate chips into the brownie batter, but I’m glad I didn’t. I think it would have interfered with the harmony of two smooth bars baked together.

This recipe is definitely worth making – again.

Congo Brownie Bars - adapted from Flo Braker

Blondie layer:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3 oz. unsalted butter, melted
1 ¼ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white (save the yolk for the brownies)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Brownie layer:
1 cup plus 2 tbs. all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 oz. unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray, and set aside.

Make the blondie layer first: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, egg, egg white and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use an off set spatula to spread it evenly. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the top is no longer shiny – about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and set it aside while you prepare the brownie layer.

Make the brownie layer: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a small saucepan, over very low heat, melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate, stirring until smooth. Stir in the granulated sugar, then add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla, and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix just to incorporate. Drop dollops of the brownie batter over the blondie layer, and use an offset spatula to spread it as evenly as possible.

Return the pan to the oven, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is no longer shiny, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow to cool before cutting and/or serving.

Yield: 2 dozen (or more, depending upon how you cut them)

If you are interested in my review of the latest Tuesday’s With Dorie creation, Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia, click here.

Or, if you want to go straight to the recipe instead, click here.

P.S. – these are definitely worth it!