When I first started writing about food and developing recipes for this blog, I wanted everything to be profound. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, I have an art degree after all. In my defense, food is profound. It’s tied to our culture, our memories, our families and friends. But I wasn’t defining profound correctly. I thought my recipes needed to be delicate, made from imported or farm fresh ingredients and dripping with cultural significance. Obviously, some of the finest meals I’ve eaten possessed one or more of those qualities. But some of the best things I’ve ever had have been profound in their simplicity, their pedestrian nature, or in this case, their peanut butter cup topping.
I’m speaking, of course, about these peanut butter cup brownies. These brownies transport me back to trading halloween candy with my sister on the family room floor. We’d wake up so early the morning after halloween and dump out our pillowcases full of candy. First, we’d sort the candy into piles by type, and then the bartering began. Sour patch kids and Reese’s peanut butter cups were my preferred candies, and I’d trade just about anything for them.
Now that I’m an adult, I can just buy a bag of peanut butter cups but somehow, this just isn’t as rewarding as finding a coveted orange wrapper peaking out of my pillowcase.
This recipe is a modified version of Bon Appetit’s Cocoa Brownies.
Additional ingredients:
8 peanut butter cups, chopped into 4 or five wedges and frozen
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, melted
flaky salt for garnishing
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a brownie pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
- Prepare the brownie recipe as written in the recipe. I added half a teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Pour the brownie batter into the lined and sprayed brownie pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Pour the melted peanut butter into the pan in small pools and use a knife or fork to swirl the peanut butter around to create a marbled effect.
- Press the frozen peanut butter cup pieces into the batter.
- Bake the brownies according to the recipe.
- Let the brownies cool before removing from the pan and enjoy!
Clementine and Coriander 