Peanut Butter Brownies

Sooo, tis the season, right?  The season where we make nothing but cookies in our kitchens and get to real food as an afterthought?  Well, that's how things turned out in my kitchen this weekend.  These brownies are the product of a cookie-filled weekend at the Wilde household.  If you're already brownied out after last week, just tune back in on Thursday when I make some real food!

These brownies were the first of three recipes that I tried out this weekend.  I had big plans for these cookies.  They were to be packaged up and sent around the country as a part of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011!!!  I have made these in the past and the note in my cookbook read "12/05/09 - Delicious!"  Thinking that I could probably trust myself, I got out of bed in the early morning hours of saturday to make these bad boys.

To give my past self credit, these brownies are delicious, they just won't be sent to my cookie swap friends.  You might be asking yourself why, especially if you are my secret cookie swap friends, but there is a good reason for it.  The delicious chocolate glaze that sits on top of these brownies didn't really set up.  If I mailed these delicious brownies to my secret cookie swap friends, they would be greeted to a big chocolate mess when they opened the box. 

So, if you don't need to ship brownies to anyone and you want an entire 15x10-inch pan of brownies all for yourself, make these!  And don't worry, I wound up with an awesome treat for the Cookie swap, I hope my secret matches like them!  You'll all have to wait until next Tuesday to see them!

Peanut Butter Brownies

One Year Ago: Pork, cranberry & pear salad
For the brownies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the topping
1 18-oz jar chunky peanut butter

For the glaze
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
1 2/3 cups mini marshmallows (or 10 regular marshmallows)
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet.

In a small saucepan, combine butter and cocoa powder.  Heat over low heat and stir until melted.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.  Add flour and stir until combined, add butter mixture.  Pour batter into prepared pan and spread it evenly.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Remove brownies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Meanwhile, empty the contents of the jar of peanut butter into a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until smooth.  Spread over the baked brownies then transfer the entire baking sheet to the fridge to set up.

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients for the glaze, except the powdered sugar.  Heat over medium heat and stir until smooth.  Gradually stir in powdered sugar.  Spread over the peanut butter layer and allow to cool and set up.  Cut into huge pieces and don't share with your friends.