A Side of Sugar | Peanut Butter-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Brownies
Confession: we, here at Prima Supply, are sugar fiends. On top of Donut Friday (which happens every third week of the month), we also use special occasions as...
Welcome to the kick-off of our new series: A Side of Sugar. Among our employees at Prima Supply, we discovered we have some talented bakers in our midst. And rather than hording their recipes to ourselves, we've decided to share them with the world. As often as possible we'll update our blog with the how-to on these marvelous sweets. So enjoy our inaugural write-up: Peanut Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Brownies.
Confession: we, here at Prima Supply, are sugar fiends. On top of Donut Friday (which happens every third week of the month), we also use special occasions as an excuse to eat more of the stuff. Whenever a staff member has a reason to celebrate, they get to pick their homemade dessert of choice. Our most recent request from one of our co-workers was for peanut butter-stuffed brownies, and since we’re such big fans of these brownies, we’d thought we’d share the love.
This recipe is known for its incredibly gooey, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Here, a coffee-enhanced dark chocolate brownie is brought to the next level by adding a fudgy peanut butter filling.
Altogether, it takes about 15 minutes to prep and about 35-38 minutes to bake, so you can make this recipe in under an hour. I use a brownie mix here with a touch of instant coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. The Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate mix isn’t just a convenient shortcut; I honestly think it surpasses made-from-scratch dark chocolate brownie recipes and is much deeper in flavor than the other box mixes. This recipe fits into a 9x9 pan.
Peanut Butter-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Brownies
Recipe adapted fromPrep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 35-38 minutes | Yield: 16 brownies
Brownie Ingredients
- 1 box of Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
- 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee
- 1/4 cup of water
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil
Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of creamy / smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup of confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons of regular milk
- 2 tablespoons each of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips (I used homemade, but store-bought will work! You find the recipe for the homemade peanut butter chips below.*)
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to the lower third position and preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line your 9x9 brownie pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on the sides. Set aside.
- Place dry brownie mix in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk lightly to break up clumps. Make a well in the center. In a separate small bowl, add instant coffee crystals to water. Mix to dissolve. Add oil and eggs, whisking well to combine.
- Take egg / oil / water mixture and pour into the well in the dry brownie mix. Mix with a fork until combined without clumps.
- For the peanut butter filling, add peanut butter to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Sift confectioner’s sugar into bowl. Add vanilla and milk, mix until combined.
- Pour half of the brownie batter into the pan, and even out with spatula. Grab chunks of the peanut butter mixture and flatten between your hands. Place in an even layer on top of the brownie layer. Pour the remaining brownie batter and even with a spatula. Top with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
- Bake at 350F for 35-38 minutes, checking for doneness with toothpick. When it emerges with just a few moist crumbs, the brownies will be done.
- Cool thoroughly in a pan on the wire rack. Once cooled, lift out the foil from the pan and remove foil from brownies. Cut with a sharp knife that you wipe clean with a paper towel after each cut. Enjoy!
*How to make your own Peanut Butter Chips
Recipe adapted from
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 3-4 teaspoons of confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of milk (depending on how you like it)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
Instructions:
- Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl, starting with only 1 tsp milk. Stir until well combined. Add more milk, 1 tsp at a time, until your mixture has reached a smooth consistency.
- Flatten the mixture on a piece of parchment paper and cut into small squares. These can also be piped from a Ziploc or piping bag with a small round tip.
- Place into freezer until firm.
- Transfer into an airtight container and store in the freezer until the very moment that you are ready to use them.
