Sweets for your sweetie

Peanut Butter Brownies

Makes 12-16

Keep these hidden in the cookie jar. He'll have a hard time trying to resist them! Chocolate and peanut butter are a classic American combination and it works really well in this fudgy brownie.

6oz/175g unsweetened (dark plain) chocolate
1 cup/225g butter
2 cups/450g sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup/50g all-purpose (plain) flour
½ tsp salt
1 cup/175g chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Layer
¼ cups/275g smooth peanut butter
½ cup/120g butter, softened
¼-½ cup/30-60g confectioners' (icing) sugar, plus extra for dusting
6oz/175g honey roasted peanuts or white chocolate chips

1. Mold a piece of aluminum foil over the bottom of an 8in/20cm square baking pan, then line the baking pan with the foil mold, pressing it into the corners and smoothing it out evenly.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the vanilla, flour, salt, and chocolate chips until just blended - do not over-mix.
3. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread evenly into the corners. Freeze for 15-20 minutes until the surface is firm. Cover the remaining mixture and set aside at room temperature.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/Gas 4). Put the peanut butter and butter in a large bowl and, using an electric beater, beat for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and peanuts or white chocolate chips. Drip tablespoonfuls of the peanut mixture over the chocolate layer, then gently spread it evenly to make a smooth layer. Cover with the remaining chocolate mixture in the same way.
5. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the surface is puffed and set. Leave the mixture in the pan to cool completely. Using the foil as a guide, lift the brownie out of the pan and set it on a work surface. Dust with a little confectioners' sugar before cutting into squares or bars.

Excerpted from The Way to a Man's Heart: Romantic Recipes for Every Occasion by Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen, priced £6.59, published by MQ Publications Ltd.