Peanut Butter Brookies

I love and hate the holiday season. Love because Christmas music and movies are awesome and there's all kinds of treats. Hate because I bake treats for almost a dozen people (not to mention make candy for 5 cousins) so it can get a bit overwhelming. I technically only have one main day - Saturday - to take my time to bake since Sundays I have to leave mid-afternoon for dance class and the rest of the week I work. So I sometimes pick a few recipes that are quick to make.

Like for Kati's present. I also kinda wanted to make something that's been a trend for a few years - brookies (a brownie-cookie hybrid). There are a few different ways to make them. The one I chose is layered - one layer of cookie dough and one layer of brownie batter. The recipe I found on Jen's Favorite Cookies allows a box mix for the brownie layer (and honestly, why not? Box mix brownies are THE BEST of all mix choices). And they bake at the same time. Bonus - the cookie layer has peanut butter in it.

Peanut Butter Brookies (source)

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookie Layer

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ cups flour

Brownie Layer

• 1 box brownie mix, with ingredients listed on the box
• (OR you can use your favorite brownie recipe for a 9x13 pan. If you have a recipe for an 8x8 or 9x9 pan, double it.)

Directions

1. For cookie layer, cream butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
2. Add salt, soda, and flour, and mix until combined.
3. For brownie layer, prepare batter by mixing ingredients as described on the brownie mix box.
4. In a 9x13 pan, press cookie dough into the bottom, spreading to cover the entire pan. Pour brownie batter over the top, spreading to cover the entire pan.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, until edges are dry and pulling away from the pan, and the center is not runny.
6. Let cool, then cut into 12 large or 20 small bars.

Kati seemed to love them. I mean, can you blame her - peanut butter AND gooey brownies! What's not to love? They're one of two presents I made that I want to make for myself.