Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 50 minutes cooking
Makes about 20 squares (depending on how large you slice them)
• 12 1/4 oz dark chocolate
• 14 tbsp unsalted butter, plus melted butter for greasing the pan
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• scant 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 small packet salted peanuts
• 4 generous tbsp peanut butter—you can use either smooth or crunchy, though you may wish to adjust the quantity of peanuts accordingly
• 5 generous tbsp jam
These deliciously salty and sweet brownies are a nod to the great American packed lunch staple that is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can add many things to a brownie mix, as we have discovered, but jelly is not one of them. We like to use a cherry or raspberry jam or preserves, although any seedless red fruit jam should work well.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 in square cake pan and line with parchment paper.
In a bain marie (a heatproof bowl placed over a very small amount of boiling water in a small pan), melt the chocolate and butter.
While this is melting, beat the eggs and sugar until they are creamy and shiny—use an electric hand whisk if you have one, or an ordinary whisk if you don’t.
Once the chocolate and butter have melted completely, remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool. Gently mix the chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and sugar, adding it bit by bit, and then fold in the sifted flour.
Add the peanuts and mix thoroughly, then add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, mixing in roughly so that it does not fully combine with the brownie mix. Spoon the mixture into your prepared cake pan. This is where you can be artistic and have some fun: blob the jam and remaining spoons of peanut butter onto the mixture, and swirl in and around with a knife. You want both the jam and peanut butter to be layered throughout and well distributed. Smooth the top with a knife: the surface should look lovely and marbled.
Bake for 50 minutes until the top is shiny and crispy. If you’re not sure if the brownies are cooked, stick a sharp knife or toothpick in: if it comes out looking clean-ish, then they are ready. Leave to cool. See here for transportation tips.