I love baking with peanut butter, in fact, I love to do just about anything with peanut better – and not the grind-it-yourself stuff – I am addicted to Jiffy Peanut Butter.  I know it is not good for me, and I know it has a lot of sugar, but it is just so creamy and delicious, I can’t give it up.  My younger daughter is also addicted to peanut butter, in fact, I make her a peanut butter sandwich every day for lunch – yes, every day.  I love that I get to lick the knife after I spead the peanut butter onto the bread, my nightly treat.

We are actually pretty lucky that she is allowed to bring peanut butter sandwiches to school – with all the allergies these days, especially to peanuts, there are many schools that are nut-free.  This summer she attended a camp that was nut-free, so I bought some sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) and I figured with some jam, she would never know the difference.  Boy was I wrong – she wouldn’t eat the sandwich…I still have a huge jar of sunbutter in the pantry that I don’t think will ever get eaten now, and I can see why.  I took a big spoon of it thinking it couldn’t be that bad, but if you are used to creamy peanut butter, you are in for a surprise.  I have tried other nut butters, and the only one that seemed edible to me was almond butter, but even that wasn’t nearly as good as my Jiffy.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light – and for 153 calories a piece, I had to give these a try.  They were exceptional for a light recipe – I swear you would never know.  Nice and soft, and extremely peanut buttery – they were awesome.  I can’t wait to make them again –  and the best news is that if you are bringing these some place where there may be kids with allergies, the peanut butter cups will give it away.  There is no hiding the peanut butter in these…

Ingredients

• 5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Cooking spray
• 4 (0.75-ounce) peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Combine peanut butter and next 4 ingredients (through eggs), stirring well. Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into a 9-inch square metal baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray, and arrange the peanut butter cups over batter. Bake at 350° for 19 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Peanut Butter Cup Blondies