I sat down this morning to bake something and started looking through cookbooks I’ve been wanting to try out. I have several new ones and haven’t had time to bake from any of them yet. Maybe I’ll show you the ones I have next time and you can tell me which one to start with. I can’t decide. I love them all.

But deciding wasn’t my problem so much this morning because everything fun I wanted to make called for an ingredient I didn’t have. Ugh.

And I wasn’t going back out to the store. Nope. I was in comfy clothes mode.

Luckily, I had peanut butter.

And chocolate chips.

I pretty much always have those two.

So I decided on peanut butter brownies.

With chocolate chips …

I started by adding a half cup but then finished with a full.

Taxes are due Tuesday (yuck) so treat yourself (yes).

Spoon please.

These are perfectly fabulous just like this but I thought I would frost them too.

I had more chocolate chips I needed to use up – you know – since I need to go to the store anyway.

Melt the chips and then mix in some peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar.

Yes – over the top and completely unnecessary.

Really, the only reason I wanted to frost them was to decorate the tops…

Like peanut butter cookies.

For the record, I think they are better without frosting.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 X 8 pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the sugars and mix until combined.
• Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spread in the pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Notes: I baked these for 32 minutes but they really needed a few more for the center to be completely done. So to avoid the top turning too brown, place a sheet of aluminum over the pan about halfway through baking. Or you could bake them in a 9 X 13 inch pan for a few minutes less and get more brownies too.

Frosting
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Milk

• Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Stir in the peanut butter until completely combined and set aside.
• In a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar and mix until combined.
• Add the chocolate and peanut butter mixture and mix until completely blended.
• You can add a teaspoon at a time of milk if you would like the frosting creamier.
• When the brownies are cool, spread the frosting on top.
• Go ahead and cut the brownies into 16 servings in the pan. On each serving make peanut butter cookie marks with a fork. I placed the brownies in the freezer for a few minutes first to firm so the frosting didn’t get too messed up when I cut them.

Enjoy!

P.S. Smile if you see a brownie frownie face.