Buckeye Brownies

For Valentine's Day the husband and I prefer staying in to going out.  We had decided to do seafood this year and I had asked him if he wanted me to make him anything for dessert.  He decided he wanted me to surprise him with something that was peanut butter chocolate and delicious.  I scoured the internet and found a recipe on pinterest for Buckeye Brownies which I modified slightly.

The brownies are essentially three layers.  The bottom layer is brownie, the middle is a peanut butter cream and the top is chocolate and peanut butter melted together.

The first step is to make the brownie layer with mix in a 13x9 pan.  I had a dark chocolate fudge brownie mix which had two reipes, one for a fudgier brownie and one for more cake like brownies.  I figure the flatter, fudgier brownies would work for this receipe.  I replaced the oil in the brownies with Greek yogurt and baked them.  The most important thing is to make sure that you leave enough time for the brownies to completely cool.

Making brownie mix with Greek yogurt

After the brownies are baked you make the Peanut Buttercream.  The original recipe calls for a stick of butter, I only used 1/2 a stick and replaced the other half with Greek yogurt.  I also reduced the amount of powered sugar that I used.  The recipe is so creamy you won't be able to tell the difference.

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

pinch salt

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 Tbsp milk

• Mix together the butter, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and salt in a stand mixer until all lumps of butter are smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk gradually until the cream is viscous enough to spread over the cooled brownies.

Spreading buttercream over the brownies

After the buttercream is placed it is time for the last layer, which is just peanut butter and chocolate melted together.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

 Mix together and place in the mircowave for 30 seconds.  Stir and place back in for 15 seconds.  Repeat until melted and pour over the buttercream.  Once the chocolate cools, you have a delicious three layer brownie.

Three layers of chocolate peanut butter goodness

Raggedy Robins

Growing up my mom made these every once in awhile, they've always been one of my brother's favorites.  She taught me at a young age how to make them myself since I've always loved to bake.  The name I've heard the most is Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies, we just always called them Raggedy Robins.  I hadn't made them in years but the other night the husband told me he had a craving for chocolate and peanut butter.  Instead of heading out in the bitter cold we have been experiencing in DC, I told him I had the ingredients to make him something at home.

For Raggedy Robins you need

2 cups sugar

4 tbsp cocoa

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

1 cup peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla 

3 1/2 cups oats

In a medium size saucepan bring sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil for about a minute.  I always add the butter first and let it melt a little to coat the pan.

Rolling boil

 Mix in oats, vanilla and peanut butter. 

Ready to be put on wax paper

Make sure you have the wax paper ready because the contents of the pan will start hardening right away.  Use a tablespoon to drop cookies on the wax paper.  They're not the prettiest looking cookies but they are delicious!  Plus they take less then 10 minutes to make.  The hardest part if waiting for them to cool!  I made a half recipe since it was just the two of us and it turned out to be exactly what the husband needed to satisfy his craving.