Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Brownies
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Brownies? Really? Thank goodness for layers!
Let’s break this down…the base is a chewy chocolate brownie. The middle layer is a creamy peanut butter filling with just the right amount of saltiness to the sweetness. Top it all with a luscious milk and dark chocolate ganache. Nothing else to say except I love layers!!💖
The brownie is a combination of milk and dark chocolate. I love that because the dark offsets the sweetness of the milk chocolate but gives it a slightly richer flavor than using semi-sweet chocolate. The chocolate gets melted together with butter and then both white and brown sugars are whisked into the melted chocolate. Whisk in eggs and vanilla and then fold your flour, cocoa powder and salt into the chocolate mixture. Easy peasy. Bake it and let it cool completely.
While the brownies are cooling, make the peanut butter filling by creaming butter for a bit until fluffy and then add the peanut butter. Makes sure it’s completely incorporated into the butter and then add the powdered sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add a little salt because why wouldn’t you??? Haha salt just gives it that bit of pop! Finally, spread the filling over the top of the cooled brownies. I like to refrigerate it for about an hour to let the filling firm up.
To make the ganache, chop dark and milk chocolate, place it in a bowl and add corn syrup. You don’t have to add the corn syrup, but I find that it gives the chocolate a glossy look. Pour warm heavy cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a bit. Stir it so that the cream and chocolate come together into a pourable ganache. Pour this over the peanut butter filling, spread it to an even thickness and then chill the brownies overnight, preferably.
To slice the brownies into clean, even slices start by using a very sharp knife. Trim off all of the four edges (those are special for the chef to snack of, btw!) by running your knife under hot water, drying it, and slicing down and pulling the knife through. Do not try to pull up with the knife or the slices won’t be clean (still delicious, mind you). I rinse the knife off in between each slice under hot water and dry it. It’s a bit of a chore, but you get these lovely clean slices that way. You can also be a bit anal and measure for the precise slice size.
I love that these brownies will keep for at least 5 days. There probably won’t be any left after the first day, but it’s good to know!
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Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache Brownies
Makes: 16 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes plus chill time 1 hour & 30 minutes
Ingredients
For Brownies:
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp dark or Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
For Peanut Butter Layer:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch sea salt (or to taste, slightly more if using unsalted peanut butter)
For Ganache Layer:
- 2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp corn syrup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom and sides of a 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two edges.
Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a medium-large bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in sugars and stir until dissolved and mixture has cooled slightly.
Whisk in eggs and vanilla extract. Sprinkle flour mixture over top and fold in to chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until just incorporated. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
For peanut butter filling, cream butter on medium-high speed; add peanut butter and beat until smooth and evenly incorporated. Add powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Mix in salt to taste. Spread on top of cooled brownies. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
For ganache, place chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl. Warm cream in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat until it just starts to simmer (careful not to let it scald, this small of a quantity of cream it is easy to do so). Pour over chopped chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds, then gently whisk, starting in small concentric circles in the center of the bowl and slowly working outwards as the mixture emulsifies. Continue to gently whisk until smooth. Pour over peanut butter layer, spreading into an even layer (don’t overwork it or it will start to pull up the peanut butter layer below). Return to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 30 minutes, or overnight if possible (brownies will slice the cleanest when chilled overnight).
Remove brownies from pan using the edges of the parchment paper to lift the entire block out of the pan. Cut into 16 even squares (for the cleanest cuts, run a large sharp knife under warm water, pat dry and then slice in one single, smooth motion, sliding the blade out of the brownies instead of lifting it back up. Rinse/wipe off the blade after each cut.) Brownies will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.
Recipe from Love & Olive Oil
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