Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE PEANUT-BUTTER LAYER BROWNIES

Category: Brownies/Blondies

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped fine, or 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring, until smooth and remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Cool chocolate to room temperature. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and vanilla. Into a small bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and beat into butter mixture just until blended well. Divide batter between 2 bowls. Whisk peanut butter into batter in 1 bowl. Whisk melted chocolate into batter in other bowl and stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.

Spread peanut-butter batter evenly in pan. Drop chocolate batter by large spoonfuls onto peanut-butter batter and spread carefully to form an even layer. Bake brownies in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.