Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Wanna know a secret?

I don't usually make homemade brownies. Betty Crocker Fudge is what most often graces my table.

I'm usually disappointed with homemade brownies. They are too dry. Or they just don't have enough chocolate punch. Brownies from the box are always chewy, fudgy and oh-so-chocolatey.

However, I got a recipe from my mom a little while ago that meets all of the necessary brownie qualifications. Strong chocolate flavor is wedded with a chewy texture. A small bite reveals a light, peanut butter mixture that winds its way through your morsel, punctuated by bits of melted chocolate. This is one of those recipes that people will beg for after taking just one piece.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies 

Makes a 9 x 13 inch pan

For the Filling:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened (soften well or it will be hard to incorporate the lumps)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 T. milk

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
You may need a hand-held mixer to fully incorporate the cream cheese lumps.
(You can also heat the cream cheese in the microwave a little to help it mix). Set aside. 

For the Brownie:

1 cup melted butter

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla.

Then add eggs and whisk well, until fully incorporated. 

Whisk in the cocoa. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Then mix the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture.

Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Remove 1 cup of the batter and set aside.  

Spread the rest of the chocolate batter in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Then spread the peanut butter mixture (that you made at the beginning) over top of the chocolate batter.

Then drop the reserved brownie batter, by teaspoons, on top of peanut butter layer.
Swirl layers together with a toothpick.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes (you will probably need 40 minutes, but check brownies at 30 minutes), until a toothpick comes clean. Check toothpick carefully to discern uncooked batter from melted chocolate chips! Cool completely before cutting.

Recipe from Beth U.