I discovered Sarah Kieffer in Bake from Scratch Magazine. I have been testing recipes from her new cook book 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen, with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More.

These Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies get their crunch from cacao nibs. They stand up after having the ganache poured over them. I’m a peanut butter and chocolate freak, so these brownies worked for me!

Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

4 Tbl unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

10 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1 recipe of My Favorite Brownie

½ cup cacao nibs

Directions for the Filling:

In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt and stir until completely smooth.

Directions for the Ganache:

Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until it is simmering and just about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove the plastic and whisk until completely smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

To Assemble:

When the brownies have cooled, place the peanut butter filling on top and use an offset spatula to smooth the peanut butter. Sprinkle the cacao nibs evenly over the peanut butter.

Chill in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the freezer, and pour the room temperature ganache over the top of the bars. Let the bars sit until chocolate is set. Carefully remove bars from the pan. Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

My Favorite Brownies

Brownie Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 Tbl all-purpose flour

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

8 Tbl (1 stick) unsalted butter

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated and brown sugars, canola oil and vanilla.

Place the butter and chocolate in a small, heavy-bottom saucepan set over low heat and melt together, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from scorching. Continue cooking until mixture is smooth.

Off the heat, add the cocoa powder to the chocolate and whisk until completely combined.

Add the chocolate mixture to the sugar-egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 22-27 minutes, until the sides of the brownies have set, the top is starting to crackle and look glossy, and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs. The batter on the toothpick should not be wet but should have a good amount of crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Use the foil to gently lift the brownies from the pan. Cut them into bars and serve. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.