The Brownies that Weren't

Before I get started on this post, I feel I must mention that it's been a while since I actually created this recipe; in fact, I've managed to put off writing about it for the better part of three weeks thanks to a sizeable backlog that I managed to compile around labor day (as you've no doubt noticed). That being the case, I can barely remember how I put the recipe together, which is all the more unfortunate since it was a semi-original creation, and thus I don't have a recipe waiting in the ranks for me to reference. As such, I'll be working from my memory, which has been eroded by a steady diet of junk food and wine for the past several weekends. Who knows? Perhaps my memory will improve the results!

Due to a spontaneous lack of cocoa powder in my pantry, I was stymied when I felt like baking something familiar (like brownies, for example). Never being one to let adversity get me down, I decided that if I couldn't have chocolate brownies, I'd have peanut butter brownies instead. ... Er, blondies, I guess. Whatever they're called, I felt that if I had a brownie recipe and I had peanut butter, I could simply remove the chocolate, make some creative substitutions, and voila! Perfect blondies would result! As some might guess, this isn't entirely how things unfolded... (then again, the picture at the top looks good, right?)

Peanut Butter Blondies
(As adapted from my previous brownies recipe)

Ingredients
1/2tsp baking powder
1/3c butter, melted
1/3c peanut butter
1/2c cold milk
2c white sugar
2 eggs
2c all-purpose flour*
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp salt

* Those familiar with my brownies may note that this is way more flour than usual. From my vague recollections, I decided to balance out the lack of cocoa powder with an increase in flour. I'm not entirely sure this is the ratio I used, but we'll go with it.

Preheat oven to 375F

Procedure
1) Mix all the dry ingredients (except the sugar!) in a large bowl with a whisk until well mixed.

Ok, I used a fork. Like it made a difference.

2) In a stand mixer (or another large bowl with a whisk), mix the eggs until lightened and aerated, as shown below:

They hardly look like eggs anymore...

3) While the eggs are mixing, attempt to mix the peanut butter with the melted butter. This step helps soften the peanut butter to a pourable consistency. Of course, the peanut butter doesn't always cooperate, especially when it's organic crap bought from Coscto that you're frantically trying to finish up so that you can never ever use it again. ... Just saying.

Stupid organic junk...

4) Slowly add the sugar to the egg mixture and allow to mix until combined.

It's worth noting that substituting 1c of brown sugar for 1c of white sugar in this recipe can make for added moisture in the end result; I might actually recommend this for future batches.

5) Add the butter/peanut butter mixture to the mixer and wait until combined.

6) Slowly add in the dry ingredients with the mixer on its lowest setting. Note that this step is saved for last because this is where gluten is introduced, which means that mixing time now makes the difference between peanut butter-flavored bread and peanut-butter flavored awesome. Mix only until the dry vanishes from the surface; better to have a few unmixed lumps than to have rubbery blondies.

I spout forth all this advice about gluten, but would you care to guess whether I remembered all this at the time?

7) Pour the mixture into a greased 9x9 pan and smooth out the top.

I actually used a 9x13, as I was making a double batch.

8) Bake at 375F for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until it looks like this:

Since mine was a double batch, I had to guess when they were done. I think it worked out all right.

9) Slice and serve as needed.

Lessons Learned
This was a great learning recipe, perhaps most particularly because I was mostly making it up as I went. That said, due to my mishap with my gluten mixing, my blondes were indeed more peanut butter bread than anything else. Still tasty, but the peanut butter was not strong enough (god I hate that organic junk), so next time around I'd omit butter entirely and substitute all peanut butter (e.g., 2/3c peanut butter). Another enhancement that occurred to me later on would be adding chocolate chips to the batch somewhere around step 6 above; chocolate is always friendly with peanut butter, and it could also add an interesting textural contrast. Nuts might also be acceptable.