Italicious

I was in Atlanta last week with my folks and my poor sister came down with the flu, well what we thought was the swine flu. Poor thing is still feeling sicky, and even worse was exiled from her house because of my condition. Her dear friend was kind enough to let her stay on his couch for the week, not the most ideal situation for either of them. I delivered homemade soup and cans of Cambell’s chicken noodles with an extended arm and my mouth turned the other way, but needed to do something to thank her friend for opening his home to my sicky sister.

After having asked him and my sister what his favorite food was I decided to make him these peanut butter brownies that I found on Smitten Kitchen, which is a great reference for all things baked and all things sweet. A nice opportunity to make something that I would have never made at home, I love peanut butter on a sandwich, an apple or a cracker, in Thai food and savory foods, but I’ve never really liked the taste of peanut butter in baked goods. Not to mention the fact that my husband is supposedly allergic to peanuts (though he has never had an allergic reaction to anything fried in peanut oil and in the South almost everything is).

My mother and I, even though neither of us like peanut butter cookies and the like, we had to taste these brownies before giving them to our friend, just in case some poison had fallen into the mix. They were pretty good, and the ganache frosting was spectacular, I would have eaten the entire bowl of it, spread only on my fingers. I of course made no hesitation in licking the bowl and the spatula after I had spread it on top of the brownies. I got good reviews from the friend, and I hope that he ate the whole batch (not all in one sitting, but maybe only in two!).

Peanut Butter Brownies from Smitten Kitchen

These “brownies” are more blondie than cakey, with an excellent peanut butter-chocolate contrasts and fantastic edges, for those of you into that sort of thing. Have a glass of milk handy.

Brownies

• 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days, and we hope much longer if hidden waaay in the back of the freezer.

Ganache

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

One Year Ago: Mezze Maniche alla Checca & Squid Ink Risotto with Cuttlefish and Artichokes

~ by italicious on November 12, 2009.

Posted in dolci
Tags: brownies, chocolate chips, ganache, peanut butter, sweets