"These peanut butter brownie bombs are perfect for all occasions! Rich brownies filled with peanut butter and covered with chocolate and peanut butter icing."
I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.
2015 is finally coming to a close and I’m trying to recharge a little before we spring into 2016.
Now, don’t get me wrong – 2015 was a wild ride and it really has been an awesome holiday season – but for me, the holidays aren’t exactly over yet. Today officially starts the beginning of my end-of-year staycation, and it’ll also be the first “true” break I’ve had since starting this little food blog in September 2014.
However, this staycation won’t be like the ones I used to take when I had my old office job.
Back then, I’d just lock myself in the house for a week with my Netflix and chocolate, and if my thoughts ever dared to stray toward work I’d just cure it with another glass of wine. Alas, those days are long gone now that I’m working for myself, so I’ll still have to put in some hours during my “break” – but trust me, don’t even begin to feel sorry for me, not even a little bit.
I won’t be suffering.
Because you see, I’ll be cooking and baking up a storm during my “time off” in order to better prepare for all the fun that’s coming in 2016. And better yet, I’m kicking things off right now by whipping up another item on my baking bucket list: peanut butter brownie bombs.
I’ve been wanting to make these for what feels like forever (where “forever” means a few years ago when I first saw them on Pinterest), because how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?
They’re like the perfect combination of a brownie, cookie, cake, and a truffle, all in a convenient bite-sized form. And let’s be honest here: the chocolate is great and all, but the peanut butter…  oh, the peanut butter. The peanut butter is really what makes these little morsels so good.
I picked up SKIPPY® Natural Peanut Butter Spread specifically to make these brownie bombs, because I happen to like the taste and the texture over other brands – it’s so much easier to bake and create with. And as I expected, it ended up being the perfect compliment to fulfilling this new culinary milestone for me.
So while I’m MIA for the next week, know that I’ll be working on cooking up some great recipes… and finishing off this batch of brownie bombs.
It’s a tough job, I know, but someone’s gotta do it.
So you see? No need to waste sympathy on me!
Many thanks to SKIPPY® Peanut Butter for sponsoring today’s story and encouraging me to bake with SKIPPY® Natural Peanut Butter!Be sure to
Be sure to check out their site for a coupon to get your own jar of SKIPPY® peanut butter spread!
Peanut Butter Brownie Bombs
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Brownie Bombs
- 1 pkg fudge brownie mix
- 1 cup Skippy Natural Peanut Butter creamy style
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus more for rolling peanut butter balls
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 24 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 packages)
Peanut Butter Royal Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tsp water
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- 2 tsp Skippy Natural Peanut Butter creamy style
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Peanut Butter Brownie Bombs
- Prepare fudge brownie mix per package instructions, using a 9x13 pan. Once brownie has been baked, set aside and allow to cool completely (typically 1-2 hours).
- While brownies cool, prepare peanut butter filling. Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), mix together Skippy Natural Peanut Butter, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cover bowl and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Place about 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a bowl and set nearby. Like a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove bowl of peanut butter mixture from freezer. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of peanut butter mixture and drop it in the powdered sugar. Cover the peanut butter with sugar, then roll it into a ball in your hands. Place the peanut butter ball on the parchment paper. Repeat this step until all the peanut butter from the bowl has been used.
- Place tray with peanut butter balls in the freezer and chill for another 15 minutes.
- Remove tray from freezer and place nearby. Using a pizza cutter, cut brownies into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares. Pick up a brownie square and use your fingers and palms to press the brownie into a flat pancake. Try to make the brownie as thin as you can without it falling apart. Place a peanut butter ball in the center of the brownie pancake and gently wrap the brownie around the peanut butter ball. Use your palms to gently roll it into a ball. The ball doesn't need to be perfect, and it's okay if some of the peanut butter shows through. Place the finished brownie ball back on the parchment paper. Continue this step until all the peanut butter balls are covered with brownie.
- Place try with brownie covered peanut butter balls back in the freezer and let chill for another 30 minutes.
- Remove tray from freezer and place nearby. Prepare another try and cover it with parchment paper.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips per package instructions, stirring generously between heating. Drop a brownie ball in the melted chocolate and toss to coat. Place the coated peanut butter brownie bomb on the new sheet of parchment paper. Continue this step until all the brownie balls are covered. Make sure the chocolate stays creamy - you may need to reheat the chocolate half way through.
For the Peanut Butter Royal Icing
- Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer plus small bowl), mix together the powdered sugar, water, corn syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Icing consistency should be firm but still able to drop from a spoon. If icing is too dry, add 1/2 tsp water until desired consistency is reached. If icing is too runny, add 1 tbsp powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.
- Place icing in an icing bag with a small tip (or use a ziplock bag with a small hole cut in a corner). Drizzle peanut butter royal icing over peanut butter brownie bombs as desired.
- Store peanut brownie bombs in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to eat.