Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies-Saturday Sweet

Today’s Saturday Sweet, Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies, is for the lover of both peanut butter and chocolate.  An unusual chocolate ingredient is marbled through peanut butter dough, and the whole thing is topped with coarsely chopped salted mixed nuts for a bit of a sweet/salty taste.

I have used both creamy and crunchy peanut butter when making these.  Either one seems to work just fine.  I have not used the reduced fat ones.  The unusual ingredient is chocolate-flavored syrup.  The recipe  calls for one cup, but I always just squirt the syrup  onto the batter until it is lightly covered.  This saves a little on the dishwashing.  I posted a recipe for DIY Chocolate Syrup sometime back.

These should be stored tightly covered, provided, of course, there are any left to store after the first day.

Marbled Peanut-Butter Brownies
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 c. light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1 c. chocolate-flavored syrup
3/4 c. coarsely chopped salted mixed nuts

Cream together butter or margarine and peanut butter until well blended.  Beat in brown and granulated sugar until well blended.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until batter is light and fluffy, adding vanilla with the last egg.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Stir into creamed mixture.  The dough will be somewhat stiff.  Spread half the batter into a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan.  Spread syrup over the top.  (I just drizzle it from the bottle until the surface is covered.)  Spoon remaining batter over syrup and spread out carefully to cover.  Swirl with knife or spatula to a create a marbled effect.  Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top.  Pat into batter lightly with your hand.  Bake 35 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on rack.  Cut into bars.  Makes about 36.  Store tightly covered.

Linking to these great parties:

Weekend Potluck

Party Junk

Weekend Bloggy Reading

Share Your Creativity

Strut Your Stuff

I'm Lovin' It

What'd You Do This Weekend