Decadent Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

I've been in a chocolate mood lately. And like the peanut butter chocolate chip bars, these satisfy that killer chocolate-peanut butter combo. The brownie itself is a classic chocolate one that's maybe a tad on the cake-y side.

I used a little whole wheat flour, which does make the brownies a little more dense and grainy. Feel free to use whatever flour combination you like. 

For the frosting, you should really use an electric mixture to whip up the cream. Normally I'm a fan of hand mixing, but NOT with whipping cream! If you make it ahead of time, be sure to put it in the refrigerator to stay cool. Oh, and I put some chocolate chunks in my frosting, just because!

The Recipe 

makes about 15 medium-sized brownies

Brownies:
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
2 ounces dark chocolate - chopped
1/2 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
4 tablespoon butter - softened
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 3/4 cup flour (I used about half whole wheat)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Frosting:
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour (or use foil and baking spray) a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Mix cocoa and instant coffee in a large bowl. Add boiling water. Stir in dark chocolate until it's melted. Then add the oil and butter. Let cool slightly before adding the eggs and vanilla and whisking well. Add sugar and honey. Stir well. Add rest of ingredients and mix until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Do not overcook!

For frosting, combine butter, sugar and peanut butter and vanilla. Stir and then use an electric mixer to whip in the cream. Add the salt at the end. If desired, stir in chocolate chunks or chips. Spread frosting on cooled brownies.

Oat Soda Bread

This bread recipe doesn't use yeast. Instead, the baking soda helps it to puff up, and also gives it a distinct flavor. Once you try it, you'll  never forget what soda bread tastes like.

The dough will be relatively moist and sticky. This is OK. Don't fret if you don't have buttermilk. You can make it easily by adding a few drops of white vinegar or a few squeezes of lemon to regular milk (let it sit for a few minutes after this).

This is a pretty basic recipe, so feel free to fiddle with it as you like. Raisins are a common addition to soda bread (I prefer golden ones), and it makes a nice morning toast topped with a pat of butter.

The Recipe

makes 1 loaf

2 cups oat flour (use a food processor to pulse and grind up oats)
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour, spelt flour or wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
various seeds
butter for greasing pan, putting on top

Preheat oven to about 400F degrees. Mix the dry ingredients until blended. Then stir in the buttermilk until all dough is evenly moistened. If necessary, stir in some additional flour. If you wait a few minutes, the baking soda will soak up some of the excess moisture.

Place in a greased and floured loaf pan. Brush the top with melted butter or a little milk and sprinkle the top with seeds. Bake for about 30 minutes, then check the top to see how brown it is. Move the oven rack up if the top needs a little more browning. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.