"Buckeye" Brownies from "100 Cookies"

Actual Buckeyes, in treat form, are confections made from chocolate and peanut butter and powdered sugar,  and are a LONG standing, probably life-long, tradition in my family. My Grandma, on my dad’s side, grew up in Ohio, where the chocolates are named for Buckeye tree nuts. The nuts are actually toxic, but luckily the chocolates are not. The peanut butter balls are dipped in chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter visible on the top, to mimic these Buckeye tree nuts. She, and some of the other women in the family, continued to make these as they raised their families in Pittsburgh. And that is how I came to experience them for the first time. Now, I am the one who continues the tradition of making buckeyes for the family, however, we usually only have them around the winter holidays.

So, as I was enjoying the “100 Cookies” book by Sarah Kieffer, I found her recipe for Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies, essentially a layer of buckeye, on top of a brownie. UM, firm yes. I had to pump the brakes on everything else that was planned for the day, to make these. The bars capture all of the joy of eating a buckeye, but the addition of a brownie layer, is over the top, in the best way. I will also have a recipe post for Buckeyes themselves! Be sure to try!

There are so many variations of these chocolate peanut butter balls and bars and brownies because everyone seems to make room for an iconic duo like chocolate and pb in their dessert files. These are a must make. The batch is large and they actually freeze really well, too. So, go! Make them. No regrets.

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 1/2 cups (323 g) creamy peanut butter (Skippy works well here)

1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar

4 tbs (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I did a full tsp)

Pinch of salt (add to taste, I like to add a tsp of pink Himalayan salt)

Chocolate Ganache:

10oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, bar chopped up into small pieces

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream

You can use any brownie recipe for the base. I used what Sarah calls, her “favorite brownies,” in the book.

Brownie:

1 cup plus 2 tbs (160 g) all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar

1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar (I used dark brown)

1/2 cup (112 g) canola oil (I used avocado oil)

2 tsp vanilla extract

8 tbs (1 stick of butter), unsalted, at room temperature

8 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate bar chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (see note)

Extra sea salt or Maldon salt for topping, optional

*Note: in place of the cacao nibs that Sarah calls for when assembling the bars, I added chocolate chunks to the brownie batter. The desired crunch factor is still present. She adds the nibs to the top of the peanut butter layer, before spreading the ganache. Your choice! Either way is amazing!

To prepare:

Make the brownies first, so they have time to cool. You can even make them a day ahead of time.

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Line the dish with a parchment sling so you can use the overhang to remove the brownies easily from the pan.

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a small mixing bowl and whisk well. Using a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, both sugars, oil and vanilla. Set aside. Melt the butter and chopped chocolate bar, on the stove, in a medium saucepan, over medium to low heat. Stir, and keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t burn. When the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Slowly pour the melted butter-chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time, until smooth. Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula until just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chunks, if using. Spread the batter in the dish and bake for 22-27 minutes. The top should be starting to crack and look glossy when the brownies are finished. You do not want to overbake. I usually do the jiggle test and if the center only has a tiny jiggle, they should come out.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Next, prepare the pb filling:

In a mixing bowl, with or without a stand mixer, combine the pb, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt and stir until a smooth mixture forms.

Next, make the ganache:

Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium - low heat. You should see tiny bubbles all the way around the edges of the cream. Pour the cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to sit, without touching it, for 5 minutes. Remove the plastic and whisk until completely smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

To assemble the bars:

With the brownies still in the dish, spread the peanut butter mixture over the top of them, in an even layer, using an offset spatula. Place the dish in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Remove the pan from the freezer and spread the cool ganache over the pb layer. Use the offset spatula to make sure you spread ganache to each corner and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with extra salt, if you wish! Allow the ganache to set, either at room temp, or if you want them faster, pop them in the fridge. Remove from pan, using the parchment paper to lift, and place on cutting board. Cut and enjoy! Store in the fridge or freezer. I individually wrapped pieces in plastic and placed them in a zip top freezer bag. Allow to thaw on the counter before eating…but truly even if you forget to thaw…eat frozen, they are still good!! The actual best.