Peanut Butter & Jelly Brownies

Big fat very excited heyyyyy from an all new Desserted Girl! By now, you know that over the last two weeks, I caught a fabulous stomach bug, decided to torture my brain with ‘self-hosting’, ‘custom CSS’ and a whole bunch of other weird terms for reasons that fail me. I’m super excited with the result though, it’s kind of like the stress of a makeover till someone holds up a mirror in front of you.

On the whole, making brownies is more fun.

In the midst of all that, I was forced to keep new posts on the back burner for a bit, while my stomach and this website decided to settle down. There are many reasons to have made the shift to a new platform, a new server and a new look. The most obvious one is, I just needed a change. And on a practical front, I began feeling the need for more freedom around these parts. There’s fun stuff in the future 🙂

Before I get into these brownies, let me take you on a little tour. First and foremost, if you’re new to the blog (welcome!), don’t miss the little box on your right that lets you subscribe to this blog in a few quick clicks. Second, there are many ways to get in touch with me, and all the little social icons on the right will help you get there. Third, the recipe categories are the same as before, all you need to do is explore the menu on top of this page. Fourth, there is a handy little recipe box that lets you print it if you like and forces me to be more organised 🙂 Finally, there are still some frills to be added around here, so keep checking back!

And now we eat some brownies.

This is a double batch of my favourite brownie batter, swirled around with peanut butter and jam for a topping! They’re thicker and not quite as gooey but you can certainly make the original proportions if you prefer it that way.

Once you’re done with pouring the batter into the pan whichever way your heart desires, all that’s left to do is swirl melted peanut butter and strawberry jam right on top. Depending on how deeply red the jam is, it may or may not show up easily after baking, but you can taste it loud and clear. Sweet and tangy right in the middle of all the chocolate. It’s fabulous.

The brownies are dark, chewy and crammed with classic PB&J flavours, because why should you have to choose between a brownie and a sandwich? This is not the space to make tough decisions. You deserve both. Get baking!

Definitely wait for the brownies to cool completely, preferably overnight, for the cleanest cuts and the most minimal damage. If you can’t wait to dig in to freshly baked, warm, brownies though, I don’t blame you. No one here to judge.

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Brownies

Thick, rich, chocolatey brownies topped with classic PB&J for a delicious twist.

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Makes: 16 brownies

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Ingredients

  

• 170 gms butter, at room temp (12 tbsps)
• 240 gms finely chopped dark cooking chocolate
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt, if using unsalted butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups caster sugar (see notes)
• 4 eggs (see notes)
• 2 tsps vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup melted creamy peanut butter (I used Sundrop Honey Roasted)
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 C. Grease and line an 8x8 baking dish and set aside. (Lining the dish with baking paper helps with easy removal and slicing)
• In a bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, melt the butter, chocolate and cocoa powder, stirring occasionally until you have a smooth mixture. Set aside to cool.
• Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl till pale and frothy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat again till combined.
• Fold in the flour and salt (if using) till just combined, do not over-mix.
• Pour into the prepared dish and even the top.
• Drop spoonfuls of the melted peanut butter on top of the batter, alternating with spoonfuls of the jam. Using a sharp knife or toothpick, swirl them around.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out with only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Over-baking the brownies till the toothpick is completely clean will make them dry.
• Preferably allow to cool completely before slicing and devouring!

Notes

*For thinner brownies like I usually make, either halve the ingredients for a smaller batch, or spread this double batch out into two pans.

*This is a double batch of my go-to brownie batter which is why the sugar seems like a lot. Originally, I'd used a smaller amount but sugar creates a nice crust as well as gooey texture. If you feel like reducing it, taste the batter and adjust but I don't recommend going below 1 cup.

*I sometimes add 1/4 tsp baking powder with the flour for a little extra lift if you want to try that.

*See my eggless brownies here.