Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies

Ever since I first saw these brownies I knew I had to make them. And make them I did…within hours of spotting them.

These beauties begin with a layer of chewy, fudgy brownie, are topped with peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups, and then are topped off with a melted chocolate, peanut butter, and Rice Krispies mixture. Heavenly and sinful all in one.

I’ve made these a couple of times and they are a true favorite of mine. My boyfriend loves them, I love them, and they’re a great pot-luck dessert for adults and kids alike. They disappear fast, and I’m always asked for the recipe.

To begin, prepare the brownies according to the directions and bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups. Return to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes.

While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.

Stir in the cereal to evenly coat.

Remove the brownies from the oven and evenly pour the chocolate and peanut butter mixture over top. Spread to cover evenly.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting and serving. The waiting part is hard.

Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies
Makes 12 brownies
Recipe slightly adapted from How Sweet It Is’s Better-Than-Crack Brownies

Ingredients:
1 batch of Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
½ cup salted peanuts
1 cup Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ cup Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
1. Prepare the brownies according to the directions and bake for about 5 minutes less than the recipe states. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with the peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups. Return to the oven and bake for 5 additional minutes.

2. While they are finishing baking, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the cereal to evenly coat. Remove the brownies from the oven and evenly pour the chocolate and peanut butter mixture over top. Spread to cover evenly. Refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting and serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake

I LOVE Reese’s peanut butter cups.

Even though I recently returned from Switzerland, the land of chocolate, I will never be too good for the perfectly balanced chocolate and peanut butter combination. This dessert, combining moist chocolate cake with rich and creamy peanut butter icing, is perfect. Add in some chopped Reese’s Cups, and this cake is truly decadent.

I made this for my boyfriends birthday and we ate the whole thing in two days between the two of us. It’s super addicting! To begin, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the sugar until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.

Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and put the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans.

While cake is cooling, make icing by beating together confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add cream and beat on high speed until the icing is light and smooth. Don’t eat all the icing before you put it on the cake….your tummy will hurt!

To assemble the cake, slice your cooled cake in half. Place one cake layer on a cardboard circle/square covered in foil.

Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting.

Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Purdy cake!! This recipe makes about 5 servings, but the cake can easily be cut into smaller-sized servings.

Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake
Recipe adapted from Cook Like a Champion’s Reese’s Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Recipe makes one 8″ round cake

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

For the icing:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tbsp heavy cream
miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped

Directions:
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter one 8′ round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottom with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). 4. Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and put the batter into your prepared cake pan.
5. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cake, unmold them and peel off the paper liner. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
6. While cake is cooling, make icing by beating together confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add cream and beat on high speed until the icing is light and smooth.
7. Freeze the Reese’s Cups while filling and frosting the cake, then chop/halve them as desired.
8. To assemble the cake, slice your cooled cake in half. Place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Sometimes (maybe way too often) I like to reflect on my childhood – so simple. No honours thesis to hand in. No half marathon to train for. No job to go to. In grade school my biggest concern was being home on time for dinner.

Remember the days when you could bring peanut butter to school? It really wasn’t that long ago. I have ALWAYS loved peanut butter. My favorite candy bar in grade school was always Reese’s peanut butter cups. I liked that there were three cups so that I could trade my friends for other candies at lunch.

And now that I’m older I still love peanut butter cups. The ratio of chocolate to peanut butter in the Reese’s candy bar is perfect.

Look at that goodness! So, when I was browsing the Taste of Home website I was tickled to see they had a post for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies! Awesome.

Let’s bake ’em!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanut butter cups (about four packages)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.

5. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.