6-16-pb-brownie

If you guessed “That brownie isn’t cooked!” you win the kewpie doll!

I was in the mood for a peanut butter chocolate brownie.  I went to Epicurious and found several.  This one seemed easy enough, so I copied it down and in just a few minutes, they were happily baking away.

What I failed to do was pay attention to the reader comments that said 33 minutes wasn’t enough time to bake them.  My favorite type of brownie is a bit chewy in the center, and I thought the folks commenting were just whining because they like cake-like brownies, better.

I was wrong.

The brownies were RAW in the center.  I did the requisite toothpick check, but moist crumbs mixed with melted chocolate pieces gave me a false reading.

After cutting into them and seeing how undercooked they were, I put the pan back into the over for another 30 minutes – knowing that I really wasn’t going to cook them any more, but I felt good doing it.

So out from the oven they came – still under-baked – but we ate them, anyway.  They actually tasted pretty good – and I’m sure they would have been wonderful had they cooked correctly to begin with.

Besides… Even a bad dessert is better than no dessert at all.

If you do decide to make these, make one of these changes.  Bake at least 55 minutes in an 8×8 pan, or try baking for the 33 minutes in a 9×13 pan.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Brownies   Bon Appétit | January 1996

ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup nutty old-fashioned-style or freshly ground peanut butter
  • 1 1/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour 8-inch square baking pan. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. If oil has separated from peanut butter, stir to blend. Add peanut butter to butter; beat until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in brown sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Add to peanut butter mixture; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate.

Transfer batter to pan. Using spatula, smooth top. Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge of pan comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 33 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.)

Cut brownies into squares.