Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts

If you're a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, and I mean really a fan, you will absolutely fall head over heals in love with this brownie! It starts with a super fudgey brownie that's studded with chopped salted peanuts, that's topped with a luscious layer of peanut butter frosting, and finished with a generous layer of rich semisweet chocolate ganache. What's not to love?
I made these brownies for my colleague Jim in honor of his birthday. He brought them to our Monday meeting and passed them around during the last five minutes. From the moment Jim took the lid off the container, everyone could smell the rich peanut buttery goodness wafting through the room.

The hardest part of this recipe was removing the skins from the Spanish peanuts I bought from the bulk food section. It took a while, but it was worth it. The smaller peanuts were softer and complimented the brownie texture perfectly. Plus Spanish peanuts have a slightly higher fat content which helps make the brownie that much more fudgey.

You'll notice that there's nutmeg in the peanut butter frosting. I thought it would be odd and was going to leave it out, but after reading some of the feedback on Epicurious, I decided I'd keep it. I'm glad I did too because it did a great job of amplifying the peanut butter's flavor -- it really added a little something extra.

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts
Yield: I cut about 40 bars, but they were on the small side.
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Brownies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup roasted salted peanuts* with skins removed, coarsely chopped (optional)

Frosting
1 1/2 cups or chunky or creamy peanut butter (do not use natural or old-fashioned as the frosting will separate)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole milk,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

Ganache
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft)
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For brownies:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325F. Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving long overhang; butter foil (don't use wax paper as it will stick).

Place 3/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepan. Add both chocolates; stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt, then eggs, 1 at a time. Take the time to fully incorporate the egg before adding the next one. Fold in flour, then add the nuts. Spread in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; cool for half and hour. When the pan is cool enough to touch the bottom, put it in the fridge for half an hour.

For frosting and ganache:
Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend for 3 minutes. Beat in powdered sugar, salt, and nutmeg, then milk and vanilla. Spread frosting over brownies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. (If you can't wait to chill the brownies, you can go ahead and move on to the next step, however chilling the peanut butter frosting firms it up. This will keep it from interfering with your ability to spread the ganache.)

Stir chocolate and 1/4 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Drop ganache all over frosting; spread to cover. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Using foil as aid, transfer brownie cake to work surface; cut into squares, cleaning off the knife after each slice.

* You can omit these and use peanut butter chips instead. However if you do use peanuts, try to find a Spanish peanuts as they are smaller and softer. You can usually find them in the bulk isle. If you can't find them, go ahead and use what ever you can find; they will still taste great.