Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
  • Cooking Time: 45 min
  • Servings: about 12
  • Preparation Time: 45 min
  • For the brownie:
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (oops…I didn’t chop it)
  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely shopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
  • 1 tsp instant coffee (optional, but always necessary)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs (I used egg beaters)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • coarse sea salt for topping
  • For the Peanut Butter topping:
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • handful pretzel sticks
DIRECTIONS
  1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper so that it overhangs on two sides and grease the parchment paper as well.
  3. Boil two inches of water in a medium saucepan. Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and coffee powder in a heat proof bowl and place over the simmering water. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted. Use a pot holder to remove the bowl from the double boiler and let mixture cool slightly. Stir in the vanilla extract. ( I won’t lie, I totally forgot this, and I LOVE vanilla)
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  7. Whisk granulated sugar into the chocolate and butter mixture. Make sure the chocolate mixture isn’t too hot and whisk the eggs in the mixture one at a time.
  9. Fold in the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture and spoon into prepared pan.
  11. To make the Peanut Butter Filling, whisk together peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract until smooth.
  13. Pour the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownie batter and use a butter knife to swirl the two together. Arrange pretzel sticks on top of the brownie batter in whatever pattern makes you happy. Top with a few sprinkles of coarse sea salt. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes our mostly clean… maybe with just a few crumbs.
  15. Let cool for about half an hour before slicing.
  17. Holy yummy chocolate-peanut butter coma! Enjoy.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
Holy cow.