Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Brownies

Typically any brownie no matter its size or shape is delightful and heavenly. Gone before you can even tell what type of brownie they are and what went into them. Melting chocolate down mixing in sugar, flour, and other delightful things and then shoving cookie dough into the middle...baking and then shoving a reese's peanut butter cup on top and letting it melt just enough to melt into each bite.

Did I mention this recipe is a two-fer. You get two recipes for one dish. You have to have the recipe for the perfect brownies first before you can make the Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Brownies.

Slap some chocolates in a bowl with pieces of butter and melt them over heat, stir slowly until completely melted.

Look at this delightful chocolate that glistens and shines and ugh! I just want to eat the whole thing!






After you've gotten your brownie mixture somewhat prepared continue on to the remainder of the recipe...aka Cookie Dough...then oven...then cooling rack...then peanut butter cups.

Cookie dough! Oh my lordy! I used dark chocolate chips that made the slightly sweet dough a bit more delightful.

So I don't know about anyone else, but I will tell you I really struggled with molding the brownie batter to my baking tins to allow me to not smoosh the cookie dough into the brownie. End result...a scoop and smooshing!

Before the smoosh

Before the smoosh

If you don't like getting your fingers in your dough, you should probably grab a spoon or use the back rounded edge of your scoop and try and make the surface of the cookie dough meet the surface of the brownie mixture. I have no problems sticking my fingers in the batter, I'm sweet so therefore it makes life and things I bake that much sweeter. ha!




Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Brownies
Add a Pinch


Ingredients

For the brownie crust:
• 1 recipe Chewy Fudgey Cakey Brownies
For the chocolate chip cookie dough layer:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cups chocolate chips
For the peanut butter cup layer:
• 12 peanut butter cups

Instructions

A full tin of scrumptious brownies!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Butter muffin tin and set aside.
For the brownie crust:
3. Melt chocolates and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until well-combined and smooth. Reheat in 10 second increments if needed.
4. Whisk in sugar and vanilla.
5. Whisk in eggs, one at a time.
6. Add dry ingredients, whisk until just incorporated.
7. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. Lightly butter your fingertips and lightly press to form a crust, causing the sides to be higher than the center of the brownie dough.
For the chocolate chip cookie layer:
8. Cream butter then add sugars and mix until light and fluffy.
9. Add eggs and vanilla.
10. Mix until well-combined.
11. Add flour, sea salt, and baking soda to butter mixture.
12. Mix well and then stir in chocolate chips.
13. Scoop chocolate chip cookie dough into the center of the brownie crust.



Look at how puffy and delightful they look while baking!

Baking instructions
14. Place muffin tin in preheated oven on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs.
15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 3 minutes.
16. Run a knife alongside the edge of each muffin tin to assist in the release and then invert the muffin tin on top of a parchment lined wire rack.
For the peanut butter cup layer:
17. While the brownies are still warm to the touch, turn back right side up and place a large peanut butter cup on top of each brownie.
18. Serve with a big glass of cold milk and a smile.

What a real brownie with no regrets looks like before you sink your teeth in and make it regret not being bigger...

I ran out of peanut butter cups...shoot...shouldn't have been snacking on the products again...

Check out the melty goodness of those peanut butter cups when they sit on the fresh from the muffin tins. This is the stage where they are slightly melty and adhering nicely to the brownie muffin to make for an even bigger and better chocolate taste...

Hope you enjoy!

~Nikki