Recipe: Double-Decker Peanut Butter Brownies

A brownie blob

I wanted to explore different dessert options for Passover, which starts this coming weekend. We've all had coconut macaroons and candy fruit slices; they're fun and nostalgic, but we've been there, done that. I found many flourless recipes that claimed to be kosher for Passover; most were chocolate, since chocolate already tastes good without rising agents!

I found this recipe on Epicurious. Now, many people of an Ashkenazi background might say that peanut butter is not kosher for Passover. But Jews of Sephardic descent may say that legumes are kosher for Pesach. Since I love peanut butter, I'm going to go with the latter take on this. 

INGREDIENTS

1. For the Nut Butter Layer
   • 2 large eggs
   • 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
   • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
   • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
   • 3/4 cup natural unsweetened creamy peanut butter or almond butter
2. For the Cocoa Layer
   • 2 large eggs
   • 1 cup granulated sugar
   • 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
   • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
   • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
   • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted
   • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   • 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
   • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, chopped or whole nuts, coconut flakes, crushed pretzels, or potato chips (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Make the Nut Butter Layer
   1. -Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8" baking dish with 2 overlapping pieces of parchment paper, leaving at least a 2" overhang on 2 sides.

   2. 

      I don't know why two sheets of parchment paper are needed. But it took up a lot of space, which meant my brownies were thicker, which meant they needed to be baked longer. AND they are not square...

   3. -Whisk eggs, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in peanut butter until a smooth, thick batter forms. Scrape into prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer.
2. Make the Cocoa Layer and Assemble
   1. -Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until mixture is light, smooth, and doubled in volume, 3–4 minutes. With mixer running on low speed, slowly beat in butter, then add vanilla and salt and beat to combine. Add cocoa powder and cornstarch. Beat on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is thick and holds its shape, about 30 seconds. Pour over nut butter layer and smooth top.
   2. -Add your choice of toppings or leave top smooth—they’re all good options.
   3. -Bake brownie until top is puffed, glossy, and starting to crack, and the center is just set (it shouldn’t jiggle when shaken, but the chocolate layer will still be very gooey), 25–30 minutes. Let cool.
   4. -Remove brownie from pan using parchment overhang, then cut into 16 squares.

I liked how specific and organized this recipe; very much appreciated! I only made a few changes. I had Skippy creamy peanut butter at home, and that is sweetened. So I used only 3/4 cup brown sugar in the peanut butter mixture (I also only had dark brown sugar, so that's what I used.). I chose not to add any toppings, since this was my first time making this recipe. I wanted to try the brownies just as they are without any add-ons!

I had to bake mine for 34 minutes, and even then the middle was very liquidy. I was afraid to bake it any longer, because the edges looked perfect, and I didn't want them to burn. 

That was a mistake:

What a mess...

The brownies were NOT done at all in the middle; they completely fell apart as I was trying to slice them. I was able to salvage a few edge pieces for me and my roommate, but the rest will just have to be the base of an ice cream sundae... At least I can say they do taste delicious! Just impossible to eat without some sort of utensil.

I think I would like to try this recipe again, but I would use sprayed aluminum foil instead of parchment paper. I think I would be able to spread the batter out more evenly (and thinly), and perhaps then 30 minutes would have been sufficient. Dayenu!

PS: Want to read about my other baking fails? These Unicorn Cake Mix Cookies were a disaster...