Peanut Butter Brownies!!!

If you are a peanut butter lover or bake for one, you must try these "Peanut Butter Brownies"!!!  They are amazing!!!  These turn out moist and yummy with just the right amount of peanut butter flavor.  This icing or actually it's just sort of a glaze is just perfect for these also!!!    Some refer to these as "School Cafeteria Peanut Butter Bars"!   I don't remember having anything like this during my school cafeteria days, but if you do and have been searching for the recipe,  here you go!!!  Here is what you will need:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1  1/2 cups peanut butter (I used smooth, but you could use crunchy if you like a crunchier texture)

1  1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

4 large eggs

1 Tbs. vanilla

2 cups self rising flour*

Icing

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9"x 13" baking pan with nonstick baking spray.

Place the butter and 1 1/2 cups peanut butter in the microwave for about  1 minute to melt them.  With an electric mixer, cream in the white and brown sugars.   Add the eggs one at a time and mix.  Add vanilla.  Add the flour 1 cup at a time and mix just until it disappears and is mixed together.  Do not over mix at this point.  

*If you do not have self rising flour, add 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to all purpose flour before adding to the mixture.

Spread evenly in the baking pan.  This mixture will be thick.   Bake for 35 minutes.  Do not over bake, it should test, when you stick a pick in it, with moist crumbs.

Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before icing.

To make the glaze, place 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.   Add the confectioners sugar vanilla.   Add the milk a little at a time until the mixture is thin enough to spread.  It should be thinner than regular frosting.  Spread over the brownies.  Let them sit for another 30 minutes for the glaze to set.  

Cut in squares to serve and get ready for these to disappear in no time!!!  

Polka Dot Peanut Butter Brownies

 

These are so easy to make, and so good to eat.  I like a soft and chewy brownie and I also love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate and these are both.  They don't take much more time to put together than a boxed brownie mix either.  Here is what you'll need:

1 box chocolate cake mix (make sure you get one that is still 15.25 ounces)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle Brand)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts work best)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, oil and egg.  This mixture will be a little dry.  Spread all but 1 cup in the bottom of a 9"x13".  Reserve the 1 cup for the top.

Cooking Tip:  The reason I mentioned making sure you get the full 15.25 ounce cake mix is because some of the cake mix manufacturers have been reducing the size of their cake mixes all the way down to 10.5 ounces and it is not enough to make some recipes, much less a proper size cake. I used Pillsbury for this and they still do have a full size cake mix.  There might be others that do also,  just be sure to look at the box.

Mix the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chopped pecans and pour over the cake layer. 

  

 

Drop the reserved cup of cake mix in 'dots' on top of the peanut butter layer and bake for 25 minutes. Don't bake too long or they will not be as moist.  Cool and cut.

 

 

Polka Dot Peanut Butter Brownies