After dinner always come dessert

As mentioned this week's Tuesday Treat is a double feature. I have a confession I have a sweet tooth, love ice cream, chocolate, cookies, all baked treats. I say with some hesitation that I love the peanut butter chocolate combination, oops did I just commit a food faux pas? Did I really announce that to the world? I do love Reese's peanut butter cups and the peanut M&Ms (but does that count since the peanuts are in the whole form, but the butter form), however that is about it. My Sean on the other hand loves this combination, his request for his birthday last year, a chocolate peanut butter pie. He told me recently growing up, it was a big deal in his house when his mother would bring the Marie Callendar's pies home, his favorite, chocolate peanut butter. His guilt cutting off a sliver of pie so he looked like he didn't take any of the pie and going back for one more sliver, one more sliver. I love when my Sean shares stories of his childhood, makes me feel all warm and gushy inside. 

Back to the recipe! This week's dessert is peanut butter blondies with milk chocolate frosting (it is so good it is worth the bold and the underline) and you might want to have a tall, cold glass of milk to accompany this dessert because it will stick with you.

First gather your ingredients: You need 10 tablespoons of butter, 2 cups dark brown sugar, 1 cup smooth peanut butter, 2 eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder. This recipe is beginning to have a ring of 2 to it! For the frosting part, you need 6 tablespoons of butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, powered sugar, milk and 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips. Set these ingredients aside because you will need them later after the baking has finished.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9X13 pan, I actually used a 9X9 pan which resulted in a thicker blondie, it is your preference. In a sauce pan, add the 10 tablespoons of butter which I cut up in 5 pieces and 2 cups of dark brown sugar. Heat the butter and brown sugar on the stove just until the butter has melted and take the pan off the heat. Allow the butter and sugar mixture to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Then add the 1 cup of smooth peanut butter into the sauce pan and mix it thoroughly. Let the mixture to cool again because you will add the eggs next and you don't want the mixture to be to warm that you cook the eggs. Once you think the mixture is cool enough, add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Add the 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Mix it through completely and then pour it into your greased pan and pop it in the over for 20-25 minutes, add more time if you are using the 9X9 pan. Use the skewer test if you want to know your blondies are baked through, the skewer when inserted in the middle will come out clean with on blondie mixture sticking to it.
 
Let the blondies cool and while you are letting them cool, make your chocolate frosting. Melt down the 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips. As you are melting it in the microwave if you want, place the 6 tablespoons of melted butter and 3 tablespoons of cocoa in your mixer. Beat these two ingredients thoroughly together, scrapping down the side of the bowl if you want. Then add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and let these ingredients combine completely. Add again 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix all the way through. And finally add the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix. Once it is all mixed, add the melted chocolate and mix one last time all the way through. Then it is ready for tasting :-) and spreading on the cooled blondies. Sorry this post is lacking photos next time I will make sure my camera has enough battery power. But for your viewing pleasure here is the finished product and photos of my official taster tester :-) Enjoy!

how cute is he!