mmm, brownies

last week was not a chart topper. it was actually a pretty bad week by most people's standards. seriously, right up there with the week i found out the truth about santa AND the toothfairy (that was a tough week), and the week, mom and dad told me " you're going to have a new sister", both which i viewed at the time as life-altering and horrifying weeks. ultimately these weeks ended with equally as satisfying resolve: my mom and dad overcompensated that christmas , and the additional sister may still be the greatest gift that the parents gave me. so, how did i find the "silver lining" in last week... i bought chocolate.

not just any chocolate, but my favorite bag of irresistible chocolate brownie mix, by pamela’s (www.pamelasproducts.com). i'm not much of a chef. but, i am pretty good at baking. Sometimes, though, you just need to realize that others do it better... or just really well. i feel this way out pamela's brownie mix, with its tasty squares of chocolate chunks, and oh-so-moist brownie goodness. nothing wrong with a mix. Just need to know what to add to your mix.

so, i used pamela's brownie mix to make my peanut butter brownies. this is the first time i added peanut butter to brownies, and they still need some improvement, but overall i got a good response. i think that were scrumptious. (the idea was inspired by lauren b--thanks!). next time i will put peanut butter deeper into the brownie; this batch had peanut butter seeping out the top and sides. It’s all about burying the peanut butter deeper. still, they were just what I needed to satisfy my chocolate craving, and less than sweet week.


note: I make my brownies in cupcake or muffin tins. It makes it easier to serve, and a little more fun to eat.

chocolate peanut butter brownies

1 bag of Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 large egg *
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
peanut butter (chunky or smooth) **

+preheat over to 350 degrees
+fill the muffin tin halfway or a little less than halfway
+add about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter to the brownie mix
+fill the rest of the tin up with brownie mix to completely cover the peanut butter
+cook for 20 minutes

some subtle differences:

• I like to add a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the mix to make it even gooier and more chocolaty.

• Add milk or soymilk instead of water to make it even richer and smoother tasting.

• eggless = egg replacer
** nutfree = use sunflower seed butter ( trader joe’s makes a great brand).