Peanut Butter Brownies

It's been quite the news week, hasn't it?  Seems Herman Cain is quite the horny badger; Rick Perry is, well....Rick Perry; Penn State is in the middle of the most horrific scandal to ever take place on a college campus, and OMG did you see what Kim is dating on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills???  Scandalous.

And even more scandalous are these brownies.  These are creamy and gooey with the great combination of peanut butter and chocolate.  Throw in some crunchy peanuts and a rich caramel topping and these are durn near perfect!  Make these this Thanksgiving for the non-traditional dessert lovers in your family.  Like me!!

Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Brownies

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Topping:
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup (14-16 pieces) caramel
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
Grease a 9-inch square pan and line with foil or parchment.  Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.  Combine peanut butter, butter, and both sugars in a large bowl; heat in the microwave or over simmering water to melt the butter and sugars, cool to lukewarm.  Stir in eggs, vanilla and dry ingredients until the batter is smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle half of the peanuts on top.  Bake for 28 minutes, until the center is set.  Remove from the oven and place on a rack.

For the topping:
Melt the caramel in a small saucepan with the water and drizzle over the top of the brownies; sprinkle with the remaining peanuts.  Cool completely before slicing.