Chocolate Brownies With Peanut Butter Frosting

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• vegetable oil cooking spray
• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, not unsweetened or 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old fashioned or freshly ground)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 for brownies, preheat oven to 350*f.
• 2 line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan with aluminum foil, leaving 2 inch overhang on both short sides.
• 3 spray foil with nonstick spray.
• 4 combine both chocolates and butter in heavy small saucepan.
• 5 stir over low heat until melted and smooth.
• 6 cool to barely lukewarm.
• 7 using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in large bowl on high speed until mixture thickens and is pale yellow, about 5 mintues.
• 8 reduce mixer speed to low, beat in flour and salt, then melted chocolate mixture.
• 9 transfer mixture to prepared baking pan.
• 10 bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 20 minutes.
• 11 transfer baking pan to rack; cool 15 minutes.
• 12 press gently on edges of brownies to level with center.
• 13 cool completely in baking pan.
• 14 for frosting, combine peanut butter and butter in medium bowl.
• 15 using electric mixer, beat until smooth.
• 16 add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until well blended and smooth.
• 17 spread frosting evenly over brownies in pan.
• 18 refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• 19 using foil as aid, lift out brownies from pan.
• 20 cut into squares.