Ingredients
Brownie Layer:
- 2 cups softened butter 1 lb
- 3 cups white sugar 600 g
- 1 cup brown sugar 210 g
- 8 eggs 18 oz
- 1 Tbs vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 g
- 3/4 cups cocoa powder about 65 g
- 3/4 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites about 240 g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 g
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups UNSALTED butter room temperature, 340 g
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 260 g
Chocolate Ganache & PB Cups:
- 6 oz chocolate chips semi sweet or milk chocolate, whichever you prefer
- 1/4 cup cream 2oz
- 8-16 regular Reese's peanut butter cups 4-8 regular size candy bars
Method
BROWNIE LAYER:
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together with a stand mixer - about 2 or 3 minutes. Slowly add the eggs in one at a time. Once fully incorporated mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter mixture until combined. The batter should be thick and similar to a soft cookie dough. Do not over mix the batter. Stop mixing immediately once the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly on the cookie sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center of the brownies comes out clean.
- Once the brownies are done let them cool completely before frosting.
PEANUT BUTTER SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:
- While the brownies are baking, using a double boiler to heat egg whites, sugar and salt over simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the simmering water. Stir mixture. Heat until mixture reaches 160F and sugar has dissolved (about 4-5 minutes). Test if sugar has dissolved by rubbing the mixture between two fingers. It should feel smooth with no grains.
- When mixture is ready. Wipe bottom of bowl to remove any moisture then carefully pour mixture into a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Whip egg white mixture until it turns white, glossy and triples or quadruples in volume (10-15 minutes). The mixture should be very thick and fluffy. During this time the mixture will begin to cool. This is critical. Before adding the unsalted butter, the meringue mixture must be cool enough (70-75F) or the butter will melt.
- Once the mixture has cooled to 70-75F, switch to the paddle attachment. Begin adding one tablespoon of room temperature unsalted butter. Make sure each piece has been incorporated into the meringue before adding that next piece. After all the butter has been added, add vanilla. Mix buttercream for an additional 7-10 minutes. It is ready when the buttercream no longer tastes like butter but rather like ice cream.
- Lastly, fold in peanut butter.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE & PEANUT BUTTER CUPS:
- In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and cream. Heat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds until the cream is very warm. Let stand 2-3 minutes. Begin stirring in a tight circle in the middle. As the chocolate and cream begin to incorporate widen the circle until all cream has been incorporated and the ganache is a dark rich color. Pour in a glazing bottle, ziploc bag or piping bag when ready to drizzle on brownies.
- Chop peanut butter cups in to small chunks.
ASSEMBLING PEANUT BUTTER FROSTED BROWNIES:
- Evenly spread peanut butter frosting over sheet of brownies.
- Sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups over frosting. Lightly press peanut butter cups into the buttercream.
- drizzle chocolate ganache over peanut butter frosted brownies. Let cool and set for 20-30 minutes before cutting.
- Cut the sheet of Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies into squares--24 very large 3x3 inch brownies or 48 2x2 inch "regular" size brownies.