Kitchen Adventures 19.2

Every day I get delicious recipes sent to my inbox. I usually print out the ones I want to try and add them to my collection. Occasionally, if something looks REALLY good, I will tell my student employees about it to gauge their reaction and see if it is something they would want for a birthday party or other event.

I printed off this recipe back in March. I told one of my students about it and said I would make it sometime. The months drifted by and still I did not make this. Finally, it came time for our December birthday/Christmas/going away party and this seemed like just the right dish for such a large occasion. It was also my birthday and this student's birthday month, so I thought it would be fitting.

This recipe is so delicious it's ridiculous. I unfortunately only got a couple pieces as I left for the rest of the week, but I have a feeling they did not last very long. They are very rich, so tiny pieces are plenty.

This recipe came from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Ingredients:

For the brownies:
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
For the peanut butter filling:
1/2 c. butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2/3 tsp. milk
For the ganache topping:
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter (half a stick)
2 T heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 metal pan (I used Pyrex and it was fine). Put a long piece of parchment paper in to bottom of the pan, draping the ends. (I did hot do this and they came out fine.). Butter the parchment.
2. In a medium (I used a large) saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir to combine. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in the cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add the flour and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour this into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack.
3. While the brownies are cooling, make the peanut butter filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients and beat until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make it spreadable. Spread in an even layer over the brownies. Place in the refrigerator until filling is set, about 30 minutes.
4. While the filling is setting, make the ganache. Melt and combine the ingredients in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl. Pour the ganache over the top and spread it gently. Return to the fridge to set.

Unfortunately I failed to take a picture of this. Picture brownies with peanut butter fudge and chocolate ganache on top. It's delicious!

Kitchen Adventures 12.2

Gracious, that was a long posting break! I guess I was just busy. That, and I need to be better about balancing my time. So many recipes to share now! Slowly but surely I will get caught up.

Here is the first step in getting caught up. Back in June (it seems so long ago!) I found a recipe I had printed off several weeks earlier from the Food Network. I'll admit, it was a little different and not for everyone, but it was good. You definitely needed a drink of water after having one of these spicy sweets, though!

Mexican Brownies

Directions:

Prepare your favorite brownies, from a mix or homemade. Add in 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper and one teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter. This is for a batch that fits in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake the brownies according to the box directions or the recipe directions. If desired, top with a scoop of ice cream and sprinkle with cinnamon when serving.

Kitchen Adventures 4.3

Normally, I am not one to experiment with recipes. As many people can attest, I rarely deviate from a recipe and it's specific directions unless I really don't like an ingredient. However, while walking home from work Wednesday and thinking about what to make for small group snack, I suddenly felt the urge to experiment. I wanted to make chocolate peanut butter brownies--I felt regular brownies were just not quite the order for the evening. I looked for several different recipes online before finally deciding to just make my own and see what happened. Fortunately, this experiment turned out well. I simply added some melted peanut butter to my brownie mixture and called it good, and it was a huge hit. Yay for experiments that turn out well!
The original brownie recipe is from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook

Cake Brownies (with peanut butter addition)

Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 c. milk, plus additional for peanut butter mixture
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 c. peanut butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan (or a 15x10x1 pan) and set aside. In a large microwaveable bowl, microwave butter on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted. Stir in sugar and cocoa powder until combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat mixture lightly just until combined.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Alternately add flour mixture and 1 c. milk to chocolate mixture, beating after each addition. Stir in nuts if desired.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. *Addition: melt peanut butter with several T. of milk in small pan over medium-low heat just until creamy. Pour over brownie batter in pan and swirl with spoon.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 2 hours. Cut into bars.

Apologies for the dark picture, it's all I have.