Peanut Butter Blondies
By: Valerie
Published: Saturday, December 5, 2009 - 11:01pm

Ingredients




2 unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons of sea salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs plus 1 yolk
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Ganache ingredients:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. 2 Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment. 3 Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. 4 Add the sea salt and peanut butter and beat until incorporated. 5 Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. 6 Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined. Do not over mix. 7 With a large spoon, fold in chocolate chips 8 Spread batter in baking pan, even out the top. The batter will be very think and heavy. 9 Bake for 40-45 minutes or until they turn a deep golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out almost clean, only a few wet 'crumbs' should stick. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours. 10 For the Ganache: Pour the chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl and set aside. 11 Heat the cream in a medium saucepan. 12 Add the butter and stir until melted. 13 Heat to just Below a boil and pour over the chocolate. 14 Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes. 15 Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and satiny. 16 Pour over the cooled bars and spread evenly. 17 Chill the bars in the refrigerator until the ganache has set.