Buckeye Brownies
Buckeye football is back! Which means all things chocolate and peanut butter are in order. Rather than pull out an old favorite, I wanted to come up with something new and fun. So Matt and I put our heads together to brainstorm. While he may not be a baker, Matt has a great mind for flavors and combos, I often turn to him when I want to try something new.
Turns out our heads were going in the same direction – Buckeye Brownies. But not the standard, “add peanut butter frosting on top of brownies.” We decided we wanted a brownie that LOOKS like a Buckeye too!
I grabbed my best tray brownie recipe (thick, chocolatey and oh-so-chewy), and set to make the batter. We debated the benefits of adding peanut butter into the brownie batter itself, but decided against once I determined how I would create my peanut butter center.
As we discussed the center of the “buckeye,” I knew I needed something that would retain its shape. We discussed just adding peanut butter in dollops on top, but I worried it wouldn’t hold in the oven. Then, it dawned on me that I had a little Buckeye filling in the freezer from my last Buckeye macaron batch. As a much sturdier “batter,” I had a feeling this would work well. I grabbed the batter from the freezer, thawed it out, and quickly rolled it into 1-inch Buckeye balls. As the brownies baked, I tossed the peanut butter balls into the freezer to chill.
The second the brownies were out of the pan, I grabbed my chilled peanut butter balls and pushed them into the brownies at even intervals – fitting 12 into the pan. The balls held their shape, just as I hoped, and I’d almost achieved my Buckeye look. The last step had to wait until the brownies chilled. Once they were cool, I used a circle cookie cutter and cut the brownies evenly around the peanut butter balls – and I had the perfect Buckeye-shaped brownie.
The brownie itself is dense and chewy, while the peanut butter center is rich and creamy. Together, these are a delicious treat perfect for a Buckeye football game!
Buckeye Brownies
Yields 12 Buckeye Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
1 cup butter
4 oz semi-sweet Baker’s chocolate bar
2 cups (400 g) sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
4 tsp vanilla
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (40 g) cocoa
1 tsp salt
Peanut Butter Balls
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar (plus more if needed)
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
Instructions
Make the peanut butter ball dough. Cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the salt and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the ½ cup powdered sugar. Once everything is mixed together, check the consistency. The dough should be smooth, but not sticky. If sticky, add additional powdered sugar until the dough can be easily rolled. (Alternately, if the dough seems dry, add more peanut butter to the mix.
Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Roll out 12, 1-inch balls of peanut butter dough and place them on the parchment. (You should have plenty of buckeye ball dough – I like to make a couple extra, just in case.) Place the sheet into the freezer to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover a 9”x13” brownie pan in aluminum foil, then spray with baking spray.
In a microwavable bowl, heat the butter and the baking chocolate in 30-second intervals, until melted. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the butter-chocolate mix and the sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each one to incorporate before adding the next. Add in the sugar.
On a low setting, gently stir in the dry mixture until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 22-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. When the brownies are baked, immediately press the peanut butter balls into the brownie at even intervals (creating 12, evenly-spaced brownies). I flip the balls over, so the flat side that was resting on the tray is now sticking up. This allows for a flat, even surface. As the peanut butter dough warms with the brownies, gently press down on the ball with your finger, helping the dough to fill the cavity.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan. Once cool, remove from pan and use a circle cookie cutter to create the Buckeye Brownie shape.