Peanut butter and chocolate is one of those classic combination’s like meat and potatoes, apple pie and vanilla ice cream, Sonny and Cher. The two were made for each other, right? So I saw an adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe for Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies over at Fake Ginger. I decided to simplify the recipe even more by using a brownie mix. They turned out delicious. Soft chocolaty brownie with sweet peanut butter pockets throughout. What a better way to start of the weekend than with these babies! YUM! I think the kiddos would love to come home from school to one of these with a big glass of milk. These were gone in a flash at my house.
I also have a fabulous giveaway today from Nestle. This should help one lucky reader start the school year off right. The Nestle prize pack includes a $25 gift card to Walmart to help with school supplies, a NESQUIK® lunch box, product from RAISINETS® and a mix of free coupons from NESTLÉ® Pure Life, OVALTINE®, TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, TOLL HOUSE Morsels, NESQUIK, COFFEE-MATE®, DRUMSTICKS® and CARNATION® BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS™ to help with breakfast, lunches for school, and snacks for after school.
Additionally, there is a larger giveaway at nestlefamily.com which is the Happy New School Year Sweepstakes. You can enter every day for a chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 worth of back-to-school essentials plus a $2,000 NESTLÉ Literacy Grant for your school, as well as daily prizes from Crayola. The sweepstakes ends October 15, 2010.
This giveaway is also in partnership with Reading is Fundamental. As a proud partner of RIF, the NESTLÉ Family is sending me $50 worth of books to donate to a local RIF school of my choice. I am thrilled to be able to give those books to my local school on their behalf.
To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment about a back to school tradition that you have. Do you make a certain breakfast on the first day of school? Do you take each child on their own shopping trip for clothing or supplies? Whatever you do, let me know. You have until Monday September 13 at 10 pm (MST) to enter. Winner will be selected using random.org and will be notified by email.
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
FOR THE BROWNIE BATTER
- 1 pkg of brownie mix (the 9 x 13 inch size)
- plus water, eggs, and oil for cakelike version of brownie mix
FOR THE FILLING
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Preheat oven according directions on brownie mix . Line an 8-inch square baking pan with, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Spray bottom of pan with non-stick spray.
- Make batter according to direction on box for cake like brownies. (This usually means just adding 3 eggs instead of 2)
- Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
- Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of half of the peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. I put 9 drops.
- Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining half of filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers. Be careful to not get the knife to the very bottom of the batter of you may cut the foil.
- Bake according to brownie mix directions for 8 x 8 inch pan until a toothpick inserted into brownies comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Makes 9-12 brownies.
This recipe was tested using Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix.
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Enjoyed these brownies with my family today and they were wonderful! Thank you!
My back to school tradition will most likely be me crying every year
My son just started Kindergarten and it was rough 
hehe
My back to school tradition is: every year on the first day of school the kids stand on the front porch and I take their picture. It’s fun to see how much they have grown in a year’s time!
My kids aren’t in school yet, but my friend lays out their clothes like a person is wearing them. It’s super cute and I know once my little girl starts school, she’ll love it.
School tradition that we have a big zoo trip on the first weekend after school starts.
truthhole@gmail.com
I always take a pic of the kids in front of the same tree in our front yard, they even reminded me of it this year when I was going for a different background!
We make a big deal of making lunches the night before, and laying out the clothes we’re going to wear. I try to take a picture also for their scrapbooks.
We are on year round school, so come the first day it feels like we are only going back on track. I do let me kid eat whatever she wants on that breakfast. Plus I leave a note in her lunch box. This last first day, we had family visiting. So I have everyone write something on her note the first day of school. She thought it was neat to get notes from aunts, grandmas etc.
I always make them chocolate chip pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse, and when they come home I have chocolate cupcakes with chocolate milk! (they Loooovvveee chocolate!)
I try to get deals on school supplies all summer long so our tradition basically entails a 1-on-1 shopping trip for clothes and what’s remaining on the supply list.
OMG. These brownies look amazing!
I’m in grad school, and my “first day of school” tradition is to buy myself the fancy coffee that I always talk myself OUT of the rest of the year!
We do the whole nine yards!!! During the summer I scour sales for BTS items, notebooks, binders, backpacks, etc. The week before school, we all go shopping for new outfits (kids only get the new outfits…darn!). First morning, I always make a pancake/waffle/frenchtoast breakfast with real maple syrup, sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs. The night before I pack a fantastic lunch for each of the four (their favorites). The first week we always catch up at dinnertime (new sports schedules, etc). By the second week, the kids are making their own lunches, and we are back to oatmeal for breakfast!
One back to school tradition, that my mom did for me, and now I share with my kids, is to bring them to school the first day. It makes that first day a little smoother to have mom with you!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Well, for my niece every day she likes us to make pan cakes and she uses different cookie cutters to make them pretty,even on the weekends. She’s the pancake kid!
jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com
i always cook their favorite breakfast for them, and have their favorite snack when they come home
I always tell the kids I do a secret mommy dance after they leave for school—only mommies know it. They know I am joking, yet they think it might be true.
My girls are all grown now, but the first day of school was done big here!
I would make a nice big breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits and scarmbled eggs. I cant wait till my grandsons start school to see what my daughters do for them on the first day of school.
I make Mickey mouse pancakes.
Well, I’ve started something of a tradition since I went back to college after a few years away — on the first day (and last day) of class, I will have breakfast/lunch there. The whole shebang, and the meal would depend on when the class is. It’s silly-ish, but it’s my tradition.
Lois
OV_099@yahoo.com
I make muffins and eggs the first day of school. Easy and a good start to the day. I also have to take pictures.
I make muffins and eggs the first day of school. Easy and a good start to the day.
Those brownies look amazing! My kids aren’t in school yet (but my husband still is! (: ) One of my favorite traditions from when I was growing up was to go out to dinner on the first day of school, and the last day. It was never anything fancy but it was always something we looked forward to!
I walk my kids to their new class for the first few days. Sadly, now that they are getting older, the first day of school is usually enough.
My tradition was to take the kids to McDonalds for a Happy Meal as soon as they finished their first day of school!
I’m new to this blog and I really am enjoying it. Thanks for all the recipes!
My kids choose what kind of cookie they want and I have them baked and ready for them when they walk in the door after school.
We like to go out to lunch after the first day (half day, actually) to talk about how it all went.
For many years we always went out for a nice, gooey hot fudge sundae on the eve of the opening of school.
My mom, sister, and I would always dedicate a full day to back-to-school clothes shopping, dinner, and ice cream! “Back to school” day was a day we always look forward to all year. Now I am a teacher, and my sister is still in school. So although I’m not a student anymore, we still get to have our girls’ day. Because hey- teachers should get new clothes for the school year too, right?
I don’t have kids, but my mom used to take me shopping for school supplies. I loved picking out a new notebook and pencil box. We’d also go out to lunch – which was a big treat for me.
My daughter is now a grown up, but when she was school aged we would go shopping together for new school supplies and she could also pick out a new outfit for her first day.
On the first day of school, when I go and pick my son from school at the end of the school day, I take him out for his choice of treat. He usually chooses to go and get ice cream, this year he chose to go and get smoothies.
I always take the first day of school off and take the kids to school and then pick them up and we go out for dinner that first day and talk about what we liked/disliked
We always do the back to school shopping. I try to get it done in one day, by hitting all the sales. Then we go out to eat.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
My daughter and I make a whole day out of school clothes/supplies shopping, we go out to lunch and get our nails painted.
It’s fun and I love spending the time with her!
My mom used to let me have ice cream for breakfast on the first day of school lol, but I just can’t bring myself to let her have ice cream that early! We stick with cinnamon rolls!
Ohmygoodness …. those brownies look decadent! I just discovered your blog today … Mommy’s Kitchen had a link and featured your smores cookies – I’m having a sugar rush just thinking about how good these sound. Going to try them SOON! My kids are both grown now (and I have a 2 year old grandson!), but back in the day I was a working mom, but would always make arrangements on that first day back to be late and my kids and I would go to a local diner and have blueberry pancakes. To this day whenever I have blueberry pancakes it brings back to many fond memories.
We like to set out our new clothes the night before
We always like to pick out our clothes the night before and lay them on the couch
I always make my children muffins for breakfast on the first day of school and take their pictures. I always went with them on the first day, too, but my sixth grader decided he didn’t need me there this year. They grow up so quickly.
Each year my daughter and I go school shopping together-we make a day out of it-eat out for lunch/supper-its fun
Like many years now, we all go shopping for supplies and pick out 3 other children who cannot afford supplies, and get them set up for school. The kids expect this as part of our getting ready for school.