Yep. You read that right: Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Blondies. I also like to call these Koopa Troopa Blondies. Why is that? Because these blondies were made with my favorite coffee shop in mind: The Wormhole–an amazing place full of ’80s nostalgia (so much Winona Ryder, including a Heathers poster), floppy disks, the original Nintendo complete with games, and a DeLorean (of course!). Naturally, they also a latte named the Peanut Butter Koopa Troopa which combines peanut butter mousse and dark chocolate with Halfwit Coffee for an incredible coffee experience. (Heads Up: the Honey Bear Latte is also killer and it’s my actual #1).
No lie, I have taken the day off on my birthday for at least the past four or five years and spent the day in Wicker Park, drinking coffee at the Wormhole and visiting Myopic Books down the street. (It’s a great combo, and while it may not sound exciting, it’s not something I get to do as often as I’d like). But I should probably stop gushing about my favorite Chicago spots and get back to obsessing over these blondies, because really…
Look. At. Those. The texture from spatula swirling its way through the chocolate, the specks of coffee grounds, the white spots of salt like constellations in a country sky..these are pretty to look at. But that’s not all–they’re also ridiculously delicious!
My father, who up until just a couple years ago always claimed to absolutely hate peanut butter decreed that these were the best things I’ve ever baked. He went so far as to say that: 1. I should not post this recipe for free and 2. I should bring some of these to just about everyone we know. I didn’t really follow either of his instructions, but I did bring some by my sister and my two-year-old nephew seemed pretty excited about them to the point that he kept asking for more. While I’m sure he’ll happily eat any sweet (he will adorably sit next to the stand mixer and point and say “wow” and I can’t get over how cute it is–he’s a fan of baking), I’ll still take it as a compliment!
These are buttery and soft, with a hint of caramel flavor from the brown butter, and the richness of dark or bittersweet chocolate which is enhanced by the coffee in the topping and brought to life with the sprinkle of salt on top. Plus, you can whip these up purely by hand and have them in the oven less in under ten minutes. The prep time is insanely short–most of it is spent making the brown butter, after that, it’s super speedy–and the baking time goes by fast.
And that’s GOOD. Because once you smell the combination of the brown butter and the melted peanut butter, you’re going to want one of these cut and in your hands ASAP. Now that I gave half of these away, I’m already thinking about when I can make another batch!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-22 minutes |
| Servings |
blondies
|
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup brown butter
- 3/4 + 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs large
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tbsp brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 6 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate chopped
- 2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 Tbsp brewed espresso or strong coffee
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- 1/2-1 tsp coffee grounds to taste
- coarse/flaked sea salt for sprinkling
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Blondie
Chocolate Topping
|
|
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray or grease a 9"x13" pan with cake release or oil and line with parchment paper. (The cake release/oil helps to keep the parchment in place). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Make the brown butter: Cut your butter evenly into cubes and line them on the bottom of a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, melt the butter. Allow it to bubble and foam for about five minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula to keep the heat evenly distributed and to keep the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After five minutes, remove the pan from the heat and swirl for 15 seconds. It should start to smell a bit nutty and the color of the butter will be noticeably darker. Add 3/4 cup of peanut butter and stir until melted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the light brown sugar to the large bowl and whisk until fluffy. One at a time, whisk in the eggs until fully combined. Whisk in the vanilla and espresso/coffee.
- Using a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips.
- Transfer the blondie mix to the prepared pan. The batter will be thick. Using your a spatula or your hands, push the batter to the edges until it evenly fills the pan.
- Bake 20-22 minutes. The center will still feel soft and underbaked to the touch.
- While still a bit warm, use a spatula to spread the other 1/4 cup of peanut butter over the top of the blondies. Allow to cool completely.
- Make the Chocolate Topping: Combine the chocolate, 2 Tbsp peanut butter, 2 Tbsp coffee, and light corn syrup in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on high. Remove and stir. Continue to microwave at 15 second intervals on high, stirring in between, until fully melted. Stir in the coffee grounds and pour over the blondies. Smooth the surface of the chocolate with a spatula and sprinkle with a bit of coarse or flaked sea salt.