Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Decadent is not a big enough word for these. They satisfy chocoholics, fill the bill as an over-the-top holiday bar and look great on a serving plate. The fudge brownie-like texture is perfect as it is but feel free to sprinkle a handful of chopped peanuts over the soft ganache for a different look and more chew.
You don’t need a mixer but if you decide to use one keep your speed below medium to avoid incorporating too much air, especially after the eggs have been added.
About melting chocolate, chips are made to hold their shape in cookies so they don’t melt as easily has chopped baking chocolate.
Cut into 36 pieces—any bigger and I won’t be held responsible.
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. vanilla
¼ cup cocoa powder
Ganache Topping:
3/4 cup whipping cream
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Combine melted butter and peanut butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla until well mixed. Add dry ingredients all at once, stirring only until there are no white streaks.
Measure out 1-3/4 cup of the batter and set aside. Add cocoa to remaining batter, stirring until well blended.
Spread chocolate batter into a wellgreased 9 X 13-inch baking pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes then spoon on the reserved plain batter. Smooth the top.
Bake at 350 degrees F 30 minutes, until the sides begin to shrink away from the pan. Remove and place on a rack to cool.
For the ganache topping, bring the cream almost to a boil and pour over chocolate. Allow to sit 1 minute then stir gently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over naked cookies, spreading to cover evenly. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to set the ganache then cut into bars.
They satisfy chocoholics, fill the bill as an over-the-top holiday bar and look great on a serving plate.