In my kitchen this past week I’ve managed to burn my Thanksgiving brussels sprouts, make a bum batch of chocolate brownies, crack my favorite coffee mug and somehow spill a half bottle of red wine under…UNDER my refrigerator. Additionally, since my kitchen seems to be a vortex of ill fate, I’ve refused to do the dishes. It wasn’t a pretty sight, friends. I was just about due for an intervention.
I was just about ready to throw a stick of dynamite into my kitchen and hope for the best. Instead I opted for one last shot… mostly because sticks of dynamite like the ones they have in cartoons are hard to find… maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places… whatever the case, I preheated the oven, kept my head down, and… success! Sweet, dense, chocolate and peanut butter success.
This dark kitchen cloud seems to have passed, and I’ve managed to get all of my dishes in the dishwasher…. things are looking up and tasting pretty darn good too.
These peanut butter blondies are serious. The blondie is dense and packed with brown sugar and peanut butter flavor. The chocolate frosting is the perfect compliment, although if you simply wanted to add chocolate chips or broken up Reese’s Peanut Butter cups to the blondie batter, that would be just as delicious. I think frosting on brownies is the ultimate indulgence…. so why not go for it. Be warned… you’ll need milk to drink with these. Lots of milk.
Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting
makes one dozen big brownies in a 9×13-inch pan
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 5 cubes
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup smooth and natural peanut butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan, line with parchment paper if you have it on hand, then grease the parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper, these blondies will be just fine.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together until the butter is just melted. Remove from the burner and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then add the peanut butter. Stir until incorporated. Allow to cool for 5 minutes more, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. You want the sugar, butter and peanut butter mixture to be cool enough that the eggs won’t begin to cook when they’re added in.
Whisk together salt, flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients all at once to the wet ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth out. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.
Milk Chocolate Frosting
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa powder and salt. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar followed by 1 tablespoon milk. Beat well. Add another cup of powdered sugar, followed by 2 tablespoons of milk. Melt milk chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add melted and slightly cooked milk chocolate the frosting and beat to incorporate. Add the final 1/2 cup of powdered sugar if you need a bit more thickness. Spread evenly over peanut butter blondies.
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These look perfect. I have been searching for a milk chocolate frosting recipe, and have just found it!
omg delicious! what classifies “blondies” as blondies?
These look sinful, Joy!!
I love peanut butter anything. I like that this recipe is for a 9×13 pan, which is a much better size for my book club and parties than the 8×8 pans that most recipes call for. Can’t wait to try it out!
I might have to put these on my Christmas wish list. They look delicious!
BTW, today I made my very first rolled pie crust and I used your recipe from the November ’08 Apple Pie.
No more Pillsbury for me! You can see a really bad picture of what turned out to be a really tasty pie on my blog!
Thanks for everything you do!
Can I be your neighbor/friend/sister/mom? And then relish in the thought of sharing a plate of these with you? Simply…mmm.
So I totally had one of those days in kitchen this week. I made a batch of Carmel Apple Sticky Buns. First attempt at ‘em. Boy were they a bomb. I empathize with you. I wnt to bake something now that will turn out successful to rid myself of my latest kitchen woes. Somehow I will have to wait because finals/studying/projects are calling my name. Bleh.
if the whole house weren’t sleeping, I’d make these right now. Oh my gracious they look good! I guess they can wait for tomorrow…sweet, sweet, peanut-buttery, milk-chocolatey tomorrow…sigh…
Oh the things i’ve spilled that have crusted over under my fridge. Don’t sweat it Joy!
That peanut butter measured out in the cup looks pretty good on its own. Great frosting job!
ps: perhaps Warner Bros. has some crazy online store where you can purchase such items as dynamite sticks and giant anvils (for those moments when someone is being uber annoying!)
Chocolate and Peanut Butter are probably the two best combinations ever brought together in the kitchen. Those look fantastically delicious!
What’s better than peanut butter and chocolate!? I bet some Texas Pecan Coffee would make a good chaser too.
THANX!
Oh my- These look spectacular! My list of baked goods to make grows longer by the day. I’ll never get through them all and a good hunk of that lis is all your fault, Joy :P!
I really like the wood piece you’ve been using in photos recently.
{sigh}Joy…you don’t know me…but you’re becoming my sweets codependent. Must try these straight away. They look fabulous. Thanks :)
Today the weather is foul and so I decided to bake something to cheer me up, sometimes it’s the only thing to do!
XXX
OMG! YUMMY!!!
I love love LOVE anything with peanut butter and chocolates!
These will be made!
Joy, These look incredible! So rich and delicious!
these look absolutely divine.
i don’t know why, but i’ve always had a horrible time with homemade brownies. i think mixes taste better [ahh...am i banned from the food blog world, now?!].
They sounds rich and delicious!
Sounds like you had a rough couple of days, but by the look of these blondies it looks like thinks are getting better.
This could be the potluck dessert dish I was looking for, thanks!
Is there a more delicious flavor combination than peanut butter and chocolate? I think not. These look awesome.
Now this is pb & choco to the max! Gorgeous photos Joy!
I will be adding this my list of baked goods I’m sending across the country to the in-laws! Thanks!
A few months ago I was also in a funk of types–I was breaking everything! During this time, I happened to break a jar of pickles right outside my door (fiddling with keys) and spill a jar of ketchup under my fridge. Glad to hear that your dark kitchen cloud has also lifted. Great recipe!
My husband has been trying to avoid chocolate lately. Any thoughts for another flavored icing? Anyone tried something different?
peanut butter and chocolate…is there anything better
These do look delicious. I might try them out with almond butter because that’s all I have on hand or I might have to go get some peanut butter. Almond butter sometimes just can’t replace the taste of peanut butter.
After the decadence of Thanksgiving, I thought I was done…. I swore to eat broccoli and chard for a week. But these look unbelievable. I’m not sure whether to thank you or curse you right now….
But I’m going to go with “thanks!”
Ooooh those are gorgeous. Drool drool drool. Glad to see you got your kitchen mojo back — I never doubted it!
Mmmm, pb and chocolate. This makes up for any foils!
What could be better than chocolate and peanut butter!!
This recipe sounds amazing and the photos make it look even better. A must try for my peanut butter friends.
You had me at the word peanut butter. I bring a treat into work each Monday and these will definitely come with me next Monday. I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Hyperbole: these look so good, I could die. They are hitting that place in my brain that wants them so badly, I would do irrational things, like trying to take a bite out of my computer screen. Clearly, the only solution is for me to make them. Immediately.
Joy, my doctor wants a word with you..he thinks you’re a bad influence. lol, seriously though they look so so good.
Oh & where did you get that awesome timber cutting board? it looks amazing,
Can spelt flour be substituted successfully in this recipe?
Oh no, wine under the fridge does not sound fun…
Those brownies look fantastic! You’re such a generous portion-sizer lol!
So happy to read that the kitchen disasters are all gone darling! Don’t you worries, we all have had those kind of moments. (ask me…or better not.). What I feel sorry is for your favorite coffee mug :( but Christmas is coming and is the best time of the year to do some shopping !.
One confession: I have never tried blondies, don’t know why,but never done it. I might do it now, thanks to you Joy.
hugs
Just call me dynamite that would happily trade my dishwashing skills for the position of chief taste tester in your kitchen. Literally drooling here! I’d say the cloud has definitely lifted!
JOY!!! I just finished a pan of these treats! Not finished eating them, just making them. I used semi-sweet chocolate because that is what I had, but they are still delish! I tried one tiny corner (no one will miss it, right?). Thanks for the inspiration!!!
also, what is the name of the china plate you use in so many of your shots? I collect plates and that is one of the prettiest I’ve seen…
thanks again cutie pie :)
This is exactly what I needed!
It’s like a Reese’s on steroids.
Aaaaaaah these are delicious! I made them (gluten free) and posted: http://www.heythattastesgood.com/2009/12/peanut-butter-blondies-and-chocolate.html
Tell me… would this recipe benefit from pre-measured sticks of peanut butter for baking (similar to sticks of butter)? I wish someone would make them and thus make baking with peanut butter much easier.
Mmm, those look delicious! Now I’m totally craving peanut butter and chocolate. Can’t wait to try these out.
Those look super yummy! I see them in my future really soon!
I made these, but didn’t have enough peanut butter – so I used nutella to make the difference. Added chocolate chips; they’re great.
I wish the dark cloud in my kitchen would pass!!! I’ll have to try these tonight!!!
These turned out rich and delicious. Super easy to make. And I don’t even like peanut butter desserts usually!
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