Ah, Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. Are we all ready? I have a love-hate relationship with the annual day. On one hand, I despise the thought of there being a mandatory day to show your affection (don’t get me flowers on Valentine’s Day, get me flowers on a random Wednesday, just because!) but, on the other hand, I freaking love chocolate.
Sinful desserts are a Valentine’s Day staple, and there’s no way I can refuse an excuse to indulge in a sinful dessert. So, since this whole Valentine’s thing won’t be going away any time soon, I guess I’ll just have to suck it up and live with it. And eat my weight in chocolate.
These brownies… oh man. If you whip these up for someone special in your life, you’re sure to get – wait for it – major brownie points (HA! Lame pun intended. Brownie points are called brownie points for a reason, amiright?)
Brownies are amazing. I love their dense, chewy texture, their crisp edges, and the fact that they take very little skill to make. All you need is a couple of bowls and a wooden spoon – no mixer or beaters required.
These brownies are rich, decadent, and loaded with chocolate. They’re chewy on the insides, crisp on the outsides, swirled with a bit of creamy peanut butter and spattered with fresh strawberries.
The peanut butter is optional, but boy do I love the extra level of flavour it lends to these brownies. They’re kind of like a chocolaty, sexy PB&J sandwich. Tart, sweet, chewy, salty perfection.
So whether you have a date or you’re going solo this Valentine’s Day, #treatyoself with these extra decadent brownies! I know I will be.
| Peanut Butter-Swirled Strawberry Brownies | Print |
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, divided
- ⅔ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tsp water
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter
- 3-4 large strawberries, cut into small pieces
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 8-inch square baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter and 2 oz of the chocolate until smooth. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar and mix until well-blended and mixture resembles wet sand. Remove pot from heat; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, coffee, and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Drop small bits of peanut butter over the batter and, using a knife, swirl the peanut butter around the batter.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until the sides begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven. While brownies are still hot, scatter strawberry pieces over the top, pushing them in slightly so they stick in the brownies. Melt the remaining 1 oz of chocolate and drizzle over the brownies. Let cool until chocolate has set, about 45 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
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