To break up some of the fall foods, I wanted to throw in something I have super high hopes for. We haven’t had any additions to our brownies in a while so it’s time to try out a brownie cookie bar, specifically a peanut butter cookie and brownie bar by Betty Crocker. Peanut butter and chocolate belong together, but do they belong together in a brownie? Let’s find out.
This mix has a few steps more than a standard brownie mix. It starts off with preparing the brownie batter in the traditional way. In a bowl you combine the mix, oil, water, and an egg, then mix it together. This batter came out smooth and almost seemed a bit thin to me but it was super tasty. Just overall a really good brownie batter flavor that I would love to eat instead of bake. Reluctantly, I poured it into a greased 8×8 pan and set it aside.
Next, you have to make the peanut butter cookie dough. This step was also pretty standard and just requires water and softened butter. It mixed up into a stickier and softer than normal cookie dough and it tasted exactly like their standalone peanut butter cookie box mix. It was a good cookie dough and hopefully is just what these brownies need. Next, the box says to drop the cookie dough into the brownie batter, in heaping tablespoons, in a 3×3 pattern. I thought this was odd, I would have expected them to be swirled together or smaller lumps of dough, but I followed the directions as written and put the pan into the oven.
When I checked on the brownie cookie bars at 30 minutes, they were fully cooked despite the box calling for 34-39 minutes. Betty Crocker seems to consistently provide us with too long of cook times which is always disappointing so remember to keep an eye on your baked goods and don’t trust the box bake times. The brownies came out with a nice crackle crust and the cookies held their shape somewhat well instead of melting or swirling into the brownies more. I am excited to see the cross section and see if the ratio of brownie to cookie looks good.
Once the pan cooled, I cut it into 16 pieces. Overall, the ratio of cookie to brownie seemed to be favoring cookie. I felt like it was a lot of cookie dough and now seeing the individual bars, I do wish there was more brownie but that may just be my personal preference. Each peanut butter cookie brownie bar was unique in its cross section and looked really neat despite not being marbled. With how aesthetic these bars are, you could definitely bring this to a potluck/party party and make it seem like you put in more effort than you did. You could even elevate it with a melted chocolate drizzle on top. but don’t blame me if you get asked to bring dessert to every event.
Looks aren’t everything, but taste is. I took a bite out of a bar and wow, I know that peanut butter and chocolate are a great combination but in a brownie they really shine. I felt like the consistencies of the brownie and cookie were slightly different but they really meshed well together. It all came together into a cohesive bar, you don’t really notice where the brownie ends and the cookie begins which I appreciate. This is a great box mix if you are in fact looking for a peanut butter chocolate treat that is pretty and tastes good.
This batter as prepared totals 3084 calories and if divided into 16 bars, each bars is 192 calories.
Here are the links to products used today:
Rubber Spatulas – https://amzn.to/3JWDtAA
Tablespoon set – https://amzn.to/4agFQsK
Oven Mitts – https://amzn.to/3JYq5Mg
8×8 baking pan – https://amzn.to/4dyO2Yb
Cookie Scoop 1tbsp – https://amzn.to/3UFhuTz
Plastic Measuring Cup – https://amzn.to/4bDJIoV
*These are affiliate links meaning if you click on the link and buy the product, I will earn a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more.
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