Peanut Butter Brownies

Helen's present was another recipe I decided to make during the week. Since last year's Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge was successful, I decided to do the chocolate-peanut butter combo again this year. After doing lemon brownies for Anthony a couple years ago for his birthday, I decided to see if peanut butter brownies were a thing (also, brownies and bar cookies are easy to do in just a couple hours). Turns out, they are! The recipe I found in Taste of Home Best-Loved Cookies & Candies 2012 special issue even has chocolate chips in it, which I was gonna put in anyway.

Peanut Butter Brownies (Taste of Home Best-Loved Cookies & Candies 2012, on shelves until December 31, 2012, pg. 137)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup shortening (or butter)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chopped peanuts (I just used the whole bag of chocolate chips)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; beat into creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanuts.
2. Spread into greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1 in. baking pan (9x13x2 also works). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

They turned out great. Except I'm not sure they freeze well as some pieces were a bit crushed when I pulled the bag out to defrost. Helen didn't seem to mind though: I think those crushed pieces had been in the middle, which tends to be the ooey, gooey part. Got a text from Kevin some time later saying how good they were so I guess it didn't matter.