Store-cupboard Fudgy Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies

So, what do you do when you're craving brownies but don't have bars of chocolate in the cupboard? This has happened to me on several occasions, so I've been experimenting to bake a brownie recipe  using cocoa powder in place of chocolate.
The last time I made them I went one step further, and added peanut butter to the mixture before baking.

Result: These brownies taste fantastically chocolaty and gooey, with a grown-up nutty aftertaste. I would highly recommend people try out this recipe and let me know your results!

This recipe makes approximately 16 squares.


Ingredients:

• 145g butter
  
• 250g granulated sugar
  
• 75g cocoa powder
  
• 65g plain flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter*
  
  

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 160c/gas mark 3 /325F. Line a 19cm square tin with greaseproof paper, and dust with cocoa powder (I found that this brownie mixture tends to stick to the greaseproof paper without this dusting).
2. Heat the butter, granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a pan. At first it will look too dry, but stirring, as the butter will melt and a dark chocolaty liquid will form. Take off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.
   
   
   
   
   

3. Add the eggs, plain flour, vanilla extract and salt, and mix in. I add the eggs with the flour just in case the pan was still hot (we don't want the eggs to cook yet). Once well mixed pour into the prepared pan.

4.  Melt the peanut butter in the microwave. Once liquid drizzle over the top of the brownie, and gently swirl into the brownie (so that a peanut butter ripple is formed). I found 4 tsbp of peanut butter plenty, but if you are a peanut butter addict add more, and if you're not a fan, the brownies taste great without too.
5. Bake for around 20-25 minutes. It is cooked when you take it out of the oven and shake the tin a little – there should be a little wobble right in the center of the brownie but no more.
   

6. Leave to cool before taking out of the tin and cutting in to squares.
   

* You would also get great results using crunchy peanut butter,but ripple it through the brownie before placing it in the tin (to get peanut chunks throughout the brownie).