You know those two-bite brownies? The kind from the bakery section at the grocery store? The kind that manage to be simultaneously gooey and chewy and fudgey and chocolatey, thus embodying all the characteristics of the perfect brownie?
Yeah, those.
They're kind of my weakness. And by that, I mean that I've been known to inhale an entire bag on my own if left to my own devices.
Actually, it's worse than that. As soon as I get my hands on a bag, it's all I can do not to snarl like a feral creature and curl myself around them all Gollum-like, muttering "my prrrrrrreciousssssss" as I cram them into my mouth. (And yes, the whole "two-bite" thing is a lie. They're one bite at most.)
I'm seriously considering therapy for that little problem of mine.
In other words, they're just about the most perfect food around... but as this recipe proves, sometimes if you nestle a peanut butter cup smack dab in the middle of perfection, it gets even perfecter. (Seriously, that is so a word.)
It only seemed appropriate to make a batch of these to help my gal Jenny (aka The Brunette Baker, aka my kick-ass roomie at last year's Food Bloggers of Canada conference, aka all-round awesome lady) to celebrate her third blogoversary in style. For one, this girl's sweet tooth is as big as her heart, and two, she's kind of obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter.
Also, I actually like Jenny enough that I'd be willing to let her have a few of these without trying to bite her fingers off. I'm a giver like that.
Since you're not Jenny, it's probably best if you you make your own batch if you value your fingers, which is why I'm parting with my super-duper super-secret recipe. I'm also a giver like that.
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- 24 mini peanut butter cups
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ¾ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the cups of a mini muffin tin, and set aside.
- Unwrap the peanut butter cups. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the butter, sugar and cocoa powder in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds or until the butter is melted. Stir to combine. (If you don't have a microwave, you can also do this on the stovetop in a small saucepan set over medium heat.)
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla, espresso powder and salt, then. Stir in the flour and baking powder, and mix until just barely combined.
- Spoon a generous 2 tsp of batter into each of the cups of the prepared mini muffin tin. Gently push a candy in the middle of each one, making sure you only push it partway down (it shouldn't be touching the bottom of the pan).
- Bake in preheated oven until the edges are set and dry, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then gently unmold and cool completely before serving.
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Don't forget to check out all the other awesome bloggers who are celebrating with Jenny today!
- Buffy and George
- Olive and Ruby
- The Baked Equation
- The Tasty Gardener
- Sweet Twist of Blogging
Junebug says
I’ve made these several times & always a big hit at every gathering. Thanks so much for sharing your easy yet delicious recipe.
Mary Jo says
Would this work with a boxed brownie mix?
Isabelle Boucher says
I can't say for sure because I've never tried out this technique using a boxed mix, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work. You might just need to adjust the baking time depending on the mix you use - if it's very thick, check a little earlier than the recipe says, and if it's very runny, give it a couple extra minutes before you test.
Sherry says
They are really hard to get out of the tins any suggestions
Isabelle Boucher says
This is a hard one to fix once it's happened, unfortunately. I haven't had too many issues with sticking, which is probably due to a combination of using a non-stick pan, greasing generously, and then popping the brownies out of the tin while they're still warm. If your brownies are already stuck, try warming them for a 5 minutes in the oven, and then trying to loosen with a butter knife.
Asha says
This recipe looks amazing and I definitely can't wait to try it out, just wondering if you would be able to make them in cupcake cases? Or would that not work?
Isabelle Boucher says
Thanks, Asha! I wouldn't recommend making these in cupcake cases, since the ratio of peanut butter cup to brownie wouldn't be quite the same - the mini muffin tins are just the perfect size for a mini PB cup.
Spencer @ Moo-Lolly-Bar says
Looks absolutely delicious! I reckon I could eat about 100 of them. They look so good!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
These look sooooooo good, Isabelle! Brownies are the best and they're even better with a peanut butter cup. I just discovered Jenny and her awesome blog recently and I'm so glad that I did because Jenny cracks me up. She's hilarious and everything she makes is delish.
movita beaucoup says
What the what?! Why haven't I been adding peanut butter cups to everything I bake in a mini muffin pan? WHY?
This could be life changing.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
ooooh those little bites ARE good! Yours look even better!!!