Peanut butter cookie stuffed brownies

This looks like a normal brownie right?

Well, it is a chocolate brownie, but it has a hidden surprise  A very yummy surprise I might add. I have hidden balls of peanut cookie dough within the brownie.

The peanut cookie dough adds a lovely nutty salty contrast to the sweet brownie. Saying that I always cut a little sugar from brownie recipes as I like them deep and chocolatey and not too sweet.

Peanut butter cookies stuffed chocolate brownies

makes 18 (dependant on how big you cut them!)

For the cookie

28g butter
28g peanut butter (I used crunchy)
25g caster sugar
40g light brown sugar
Tbsp milk
70g plain flour
pinch of salt

For the brownie

200g dark chocolate 
75g butter
100g groundnut oil
275g caster sugar
130g plain flour
3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 170C/150C FAN. Grease and line a brownie tin with baking parchment.

First make the cookie dough, beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the milk and finally stir in the flour to bring the cookie dough together. Put the dough aside whist you make the brownies. 

Place the butter, oil and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring from time to time. When fully melted remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the sugar until full incorporated. Next stir in the flour until no more remains visible. Finally add the eggs one at time and stir until fully combined. 

Pour half the brownie mix into the prepared pan and level out with a spatula, or the back of a spoon. Take small pieces of the cookie dough and roll into balls. Evenly disperse the cookie dough balls over the batter and press them in every so slightly.

Pour the rest of the batter over, making sure all the cookie dough is covered  even if it is only a wafer thin covering, 

Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes until flaky on top but not overcooked, you want a nice fudgey centre! Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for at least an hour this will make removal  much easier. 

Using the baking parchment to help you, lift the brownie from the tin and transfer it to a wire rack. When fully cool cut with a sharp knife into whatever size brownie pieces you require.

You can of course use your own personal favourite brownie recipe but I have posted this one as it has become my favourite quite by accident! I had started to make these when it became clear I would not have enough butter. This never happens. It was nearly a disaster. However I substituted groundnut oil for the missing butter. I was a little worried the brownies would be cakey but hoped there was enough butter to keep them fudgey.

Totally unexpectedly these were my favourite type of brownie, a crisp top, fudgey centre and just a little bit of chew, hmmmm.