PB+J Brownies
This weekend was a special one - christening our new kitchen with my first bake in the new house. I kept telling Jordan that I wanted to “make sure the oven was working correctly” - but who am I kidding. I just wanted to have a moment to make something sweet in my new, literal dream kitchen. We had a friend over earlier in the day and she asked “is this just your dream kitchen” and it honestly is. So light + bright + spacious, and I’ve loved the moments we’ve had together in this space so far. Still quite bare, but everything we need to have some special moments cooking together in our new space.
The other added perk - new house + new kitchen means access to all my cookbooks that have been tucked away for the last 15 months. So for the first bake I knew just want I wanted - warm PB+J Brownies with sweet + creamy ice cream scooped on top. I dug out a favorite brownie recipe from an old cookbook gifted to me by my mom, and it’s the recipe for the most fudge-y, chocolate-y brownies that I’ve ever made. It’s like the jam + peanut butter keeps the top of the brownie kind of gooey, creating this fudge-like, totally dreamy texture. The batter is the perfect base for swirling in some fun toppings, and it’s my go to. Seriously the most delicious, rich brownies that are perfect for the chocolate lover.
Simple + delicious
Everything about this recipe is ideal. The ingredient list is short, it’s simple to whip together (no stand mixer needed - just a very light amount of elbow grease), and it’s the perfect rich chocolate flavor. Chef’s kiss good.
The toppings will keep things gooey, & what works for me is to do the “shake” test. Instead of dipping a toothpick in the batter or whatever, I gently jiggle the pan to assess if the batter looks set. The edges will be pretty firm and should be obviously cooked through, and if we need a couple extra minutes to get the jiggle to become a little more set, just do it!
Key to success - room temperature
The shining stars are the raspberry jam + peanut butter. I cannot stress how good this combo is piled on top of a fudge brownie. No real care or consideration needs to be taken to get that perfect swirl. Just be haphazard about it - placing small dollops of both across the top of the filled brownie tray, and getting in there with a knife to just swirl it all together. The actual key to success - room temperature ingredients. Particularly the peanut butter. It just makes it so much easier to swirl with the chocolate base + gooey jam
Make it special
These brownies are so so good, and they feel so special. Far too special to eat at room temp, casually - they’re not like other brownies. They’re worth the extra step of warming them up, serving alongside really good berry ice cream (I splurged on our favorite WA local stuff), and even cutting into a cute shape. In my case - sweet little hearts. Perfect serving size + perfect little at-home presentation.
We’re currently on the road, and I’ve got a couple leftover pieces hiding in the trunk that I’m pretty excited to get my hands on once we get into our hotel.
For the brownies
1 c. butter
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 eggs
3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
heaping 1/2 c. peanut butter + 1/2 c. raspberry jam (room temperature)
Start by lining the baking pan with parchment + preheating the oven to 325.
In a double boiler, melt the butter + unsweetened chocolate. Keep over the heat, stirring regularly until the mixture is perfectly smooth. Remove from the heat + let cool slightly (2-3 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt + vanilla until it’s perfectly smooth. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until perfectly incorporated. Add in the flour + whisk until there are no bumps. Pour the mixture into the baking tray + smooth it out with a spatula. Dollop the jam + peanut butter over the top randomly, and use a knife to swirl the PB+J with the brownie mix - being careful to not over mix as you want these items to be “toppings.” Bake 35-40 minutes - until the batter is set + not super jiggly in the middle.
Serve warm with a dollop of really good berry ice cream on top. A perfect PB+J dessert.