Pic's Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Oh My. Heavens.

This is a recipe I've made a couple of times now, and it's beyond amazing. I'm a huge fan of peanut butter and chocolate together (Hello! American here! Reese's Peanut Butter cups are still one of my favourites!) So, here is our Pic’s Peanut Butter Cook & Craft Challenge recipe!!

Pic's, our favourite PB here. It's "REALLY GOOD", but no, seriously, it is.

This is an adapted recipe I originally found in One More Slice, an amazing book with so many heart stopping sweet recipes! But here is my tweaked version.

Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until it's light and creamy. And check out the beautifulness of the melted butter and peanut butter!!! (drooooool)

Spread the brownie mixture in the parchment lined tin and put aside.

For the peanut butter cream, melt the butter in beat in the icing sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla.

By the the time you finish this, it will have cooled enough to spoon or drizzle the peanut butter cream on top of the chocolate mixture. Using a knife, make swirls in the tin to make the marbled effect.

The perfect crisp brownie top... and a missing piece! Ooops!

Pop it in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes until the sides are firm and middle is set.
Let it cool and cut into squares. Devour.

Mmmmm Gooooey....

Henk's favourite part about Pic's? "STAR!!!!!"

Pic's Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Ingredients for the Brownies

• 200 grams softened butter
• 175 grams sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 50 grams cocoa powder
• 50 ml rice syrup
• 3 pinches sea salt
• 4 free-range eggs
• 90 grams plain flour

Ingredients for the Peanut Butter Cream

• 50 grams butter
• 65 grams icing sugar
• 175 grams Pic's Peanut Butter (smooooooth for this recipe)
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line a 20x20cm baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla until it's light and creamy.
3. Mix in the cocoa, salt, and syrup.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, adding the flour last.
5. Spread the brownie mixture in the parchment lined tin and put aside
6. For the peanut butter cream, melt the butter and whisk in the icing sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla.
7. By the the time you finish this, the peanut butter cream will have cooled enough to spoon or drizzle on top of the chocolate mixture.
8. Using a knife, make swirls in the tin to make the marbled effect.
9. Pop it in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes until the sides are firm and middle is set.
10. Let it cool and cut into squares.
11. Devour.

The Shampoo Dilemma, and oh yeah, I finally cut my hair!

A little back story on this. My hair. I've had it all sorts of ways over the years... 

Long and brown.

Marilyn Monroe short and platinum blonde. 

Annie Lennox short and blonde. And brown.

Medium length and bright red.

Streaks.

Highlights.

Long again.

Short again. 

Fringe. 

No fringe. 

You get the idea. 

My latest hair dilemma was the fact that my last hair cut was when I was still pregnant with the boys! No lie. My hair was down to my waist. Long. Tired. And the fact that I hadn't worn it down in about six months was a good indication that it needed to go. So ta-da!

Loving it! And sorry about the no-makeup me. It's a bit frightening! I know! Also, I think it's quite funny how my long hair doesn't even fit into the frame. And how much do I look like my Mom!!! (Love you Mom xx) But having short hair feels so much better for me. 

One thing I had forgotten about with having short hair was - I have to wash my hair everyday! Or least every other day.. When I had long hair, I would easily go a week or more without washing it. Maybe a little cocoa-cornstarch dry shampoo here and there, but not everyday maintenance.

The shampoo I was using still left my hair a little sludgy. There was a lot of buildup going on and for shorter hair, it felt noticeable. Blah. It was an "earth-friendly" product, no names here. But...

Anywho - in steps ecostore! I was asked via KiwiMummyBlogs to review one of their latest shampoo and conditioner combos! What perfect timing! 

I started using the Volumising Shampoo and Condition and within a day, my newly short hair was so much softer and - imagine this - much more voluminous! It's not very often I find something that does what it claims! And I can go days without any extra product. Dreamy. And I know this may seem like a silly thing - but to me it makes a difference... The design they have chosen for their caps has a nice small hole versus other shampoos that just ooze out product. Yeah, silly. But everything about these products are a plus.

     

We have (mostly) been an ecostore family since the day we moved to NZ. Everything from their cleaning products to body wash for the boys, we love them. And if you check out their site - read up on their ethics. Ace. 

So, as I said before - stoked. 

Hope you enjoy it as well!

x

Happy Monday! And a special thank you!

Yes, it's Monday again... Sigh... Back to the grind, eh?

Just a quick note as the boys are down for bed, a glass of wine, some bad television, and a whole heap of crocheting await me in the other room...

Thank you so much to everyone at Kiwi Mummy Blogs! I'm really stoked to be apart of the great list of bloggers! And it's actually been a good motivator for me to do a lot more writing and photography. I'm feeling really inspired lately and I feel like it's all coming together.

Go check out their site to see heaps of other great NZ blogs! 

xx