Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

These rich and chocolately brownies are a decadent treat to enjoy with friends! A caution: do not under any circumstances over bake these. The first time I made these I baked them a little too long (they weren't anywhere near the description of ooey gooey) and I thought they were just okay. However, I knew that it was my fault for over baking them. Finally, a long time later, I tried them again and this time I didn't over bake them. They were great! Rich, chocolately, and best served with a scoop of vanilla icecream.  Thanks goes to my friend Alana and her Southern cookbook!

Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies
submitted by Erin

Batter Ingredients:

1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. butter (1 stick) softened
½ c. oil
1 T. vanilla
3 eggs
1 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. cocoa powder
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c. peanut butter chips (or choc chips)

Filling Ingredients:

1 c. creamy peanut butter
¼ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. sugar
2 T. flour
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla

Frosting:

2 (1-oz) bars unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate (I would recommend semi-sweet)
3 T. creamy peanut butter
1 ½ c. powdered sugar
¼ c. water
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt

Directions:
Batter: Preheat oven to 350 and spray 9x13-inch pan. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add oil and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt - blend well. While beating, gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture – mix well. Fold in chips. Evenly spread ½ batter into pan.

Filling: In a small bowl cream together peanut butter and oil. Add sugar and flour – blend well. Add eggs and vanilla – beat until smooth. Carefully spread filling evenly over batter in pan. Top filling with remaining ½ batter and spread evenly. Gently cut through layers to create marble effect throughout brownies. Bake for 30 minutes – do NOT over bake.

Frosting: While baking, in a medium saucepan, melt chocolate and peanut butter over LOW heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients – mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add 1-3 T. water. Spread frosting over brownies immediately after baking. Cool in pan 2-3 hours before serving.

Preparation time: 30 minutes prep, 30 minutes bake