Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe makes a better-than-average fudge brownie that's perfect for school lunches or toting to fall meetings. The recipe is straight forward and, happily, is suitable for young cooks to make on their own. The brownies stay soft and chewy for days if they are wrapped and stored in an airtight container. They won't be the prettiest specimens to come from your kitchen, but they are delicious and will add 'creds' to your reputation as a cook. I have one small caution to share with you. The peanut butter swirl that tops the brownies is molten hot, so unless you have a band-aid fetish, don't test for doneness using the tips of your fingers. I speak from bitter experience. The brownies need to cool for an hour before they can be neatly cut. I love peanut butter, so I, of course, am awfully fond of this recipe. I do hope you will give it a try. Here is how the brownies are made.

Peanut Butter Brownies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bob's Red Mill Flour

Ingredients:
Brownie Base
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into quarters
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1-1/4 cups Sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Peanut Butter Swirl
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Set oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Put one piece in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan so that it overhangs. Overlap second piece in pan perpendicular to first. Spray with cooking spray.
2) In a bowl, microwave chocolate and butter for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted. Whisk in cocoa powder until smooth and set aside to cool.
3) For peanut butter swirl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.
4) In a large bowl, whisk sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs until combined. Whisk melted chocolate mix into egg mix. Stir in flour until just combined. Do not over-mix. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of peanut butter mixture on top of brownie batter. Use a butter knife to swirl in peanut butter.
5) Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Pull from pan using foil liner. Cut into 2-inch squares when ready to serve. Makes 16 brownies.