Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies

It's been ages since we've had brownies so I thought I'd fire up the oven and bake a batch of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies.

These are so quick to make but the swirls of peanut butter make them look a bit fancier than plain brownies.  First we make a batch of regular brownies using the following ingredients:

1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons regular flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/3 cup vegetable oil 
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.   Line a square baking tin with baking paper or simply oil the bottom and sides of the tin.  

Place the cocoa, sugar, flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl.  Stir well to combine all the dry ingredients and break up any lumps in the cocoa powder.   Add the oil, eggs and vanilla, stir until all the ingredients are well combined.  Pour the brownie batter into the prepared tin and spread it evenly out to the corners of the tin.  

Here comes the swirly part:  Melt 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter in the microwave, 20 seconds on HIGH ought to do the trick.  Drop small blobs of the melted peanut butter over the top of the brownie batter.

Using a blunt table knife, cut through the batter several times to make a marbled effect.  Don't mix, just draw the knife through the blobs.   It looks rather pretty, doesn't it?  It reminds me of tiger stripes.

Bake the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies for 25-30 minutes.  They should be very soft in the middle and just beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan.  DO NOT OVER BAKE.  

Cool the brownies in the pan before cutting into squares.  When I say 'cool', I mean wait as long as you can.  There is nothing nicer than a warm brownie and very cold milk.