1/2cupsemi-sweet chocolate chipsmelted and cooled slightly
2largeeggsat room temperature
1/3cupunsweetened cocoa powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonbaking powder
3/4cupall-purpose flour
1/4cupcreamy peanut butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8” glass baking dish, line it with parchment paper, and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined using a hand mixer. Add in vanilla extract and melted chocolate. Beat until well mixed.
Add in the eggs and beat just until combined.
Sift the dry ingredients through a sieve into the brownie batter: cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and flour.
Use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients into the brownie batter just until combined.
Spread the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish.
Microwave the peanut butter for about 15 seconds so that it is smooth and pourable in consistency. Spoon dollops of the peanut butter over the brownie batter.
Use a knife to swirl the peanut butter into the batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until fudgy crumbs cling to a toothpick/knife when stuck in the center of the brownies, but there is no wet batter. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.Cover the brownies with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking to keep the peanut butter creamy. Alternately, if you’d like the peanut butter more dried out and the top of the brownies a bit darker, you can leave them uncovered the full cook time.
Lift the brownies from the pan by the parchment paper and cut into squares.
Notes
The melted butter dissolves some of the sugar crystals when mixed - this helps to make a nice crackle across the top and a chewy edge on the brownies.
Beating the eggs with a hand mixer will add extra air to the batter - this causes the brownie to puff more during baking and can lead to high edges and cracking where the center settles. This will happen a little bit anyway, but you can reduce the puffing by mixing the batter by hand once you’ve added the eggs.
To melt the chocolate chips, microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each interval. Chocolate chips are readily available, but you can use your favorite dark chocolate bar or any chocolate you like.
I recommend sticking to processed smooth peanut butter or other smooth processed nut butters for this recipe.
We used regular unsweetened cocoa powder but you can substitute with Dutch-process cocoa powder if preferred.