Bake it, Make it & Take it.....Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

It's that time again.....time for another post in my new weekly feature: Bake it, Make it & Take it!

When my mom and I were deciding what recipe and project to feature next, she mentioned her FANTASTICAL Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies and I knew exactly what kind of package I wanted to use for them!

Of course, I was also ALL OVER making peanut butter cup brownies! If you've been around my blog long enough, you know that I adore chocolate and peanut butter together. I'm always looking for a good excuse to make something or eat something that combines those two pleasures of mine. I have given God the Blue Ribbon of Excellence for creating both the cocoa bean and the peanut. I'm hereby also giving whoever thought to put those two together a Blue Ribbon of Excellence, as well.

Last week, I bought a big bag of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups to use for these brownies and put them in my file cabinet. This is where my stash of candies goes. Yes, I file my chocolate! *wink* My hubby and my kids know this stash is there and I keep it pretty full so it's usually not a big deal if some of it "goes missing." I did tell them, however, that these were for a special project and they weren't allowed to eat them all. I knew the bag was getting low so when I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon, I picked up a regular package of PB cups to supplement what was at home in my filing cabinet. When I got home and made the brownies last night, I opened up my filing cabinet to find they were all gone. Even the bag was gone. I was part surprised and part NOT surprised. I was NOT surprised that no one listened to me. The call of chocolate and peanut butter is a hard call to ignore. Put out as I was, I totally understood the need, the insatiable hunger, the burning desire, to eat those PB cups. I WAS surprised, though, that the bag was thrown out. Usually empty bags and containers are left for me to deal with. Kind of like the toilet paper roll (bet you didn't think you'd read about toilet paper and peanut butter cups in the same paragraph, did you???). I'll go in to use the bathroom and the toilet paper roll will be empty, but still on the holder. Is it really THAT hard to change it? Is it really THAT hard to throw away an empty bag? Or to fill an ice cube tray if you've already got it out and you're emptying it? Or to put the empty apple juice jug in the recycling bag instead of putting it BACK in the fridge with nothing in it? Apparently so....for the most part. This time, though, the bag was thrown out. I suppose someone was paying penance for having ate the last of the forbidden PB cups!

And I was informed by each of the "suspects" that they "didn't eat ALL the PB cups....everyone else helped eat them, too." They always have to get me on those technicalities, don't they?

Anyway.......I normally would fold in a bunch of chopped up PB cups into the brownie batter and then sprinkle some on top, but because I only had two lone PB cups, they were mixed into the batter and I had to settle with just the PB swirl on the top of the brownies. They were still delicious even if they WERE missing some of the PB cups. I think I'm going to have to find a new hiding place. *wink*

I'm sure that many of you have seen these cute little window tins with the little Hershey's Nuggets in them. Many people call them "Nugget tins" because they're the perfect size to fill with decorated Nuggets. I wanted to do something completely different with the tin, though. I used my tin to hold a couple of these delicious PB Cup Brownies. Perfect fit! I laid a piece of waxed paper on the bottom of the tin and put the brownies on top.

I created a "belly band" to go around the tin. This can be slid off to open the tin, which makes the tin great for "re-gifting" once the treat inside has been eaten (which won't take long, I assure you....these brownies are ADDICTIVE!).

I used some striped paper from the Cutie Pie Designer Series Paper pack for the band. I adhered it to give it a nice fit, but not too snug so that it didn't slide off easy. It fits nicely on the tin, but easily comes off and goes back on without sliding around. I adhered a piece of black gingham ribbon around it for some nice black and white contrast on the color. The black and white really pops out!

I used my Coluzzle Cutting System to cut out the Bashful Blue cardstock circle and adhered that to the top of the belly band. I then punched out a Rose Red cardstock scalloped circle using the Scalloped Circle Punch.

I used one of the greetings from the Punchy Words set from GinaK Designs and stamped it with Rose Red Craft ink on one of Gina's new Bling & Dazzle Plastic Tags. People talk about using these tags with paper or fabric to decorate them, but I prefer to use them "naked." I used my heat gun to dry the ink (make sure to let the tag sit for a while after heating it so it can cool down and so that it doesn't warp because it'll be pliable while hot). I threaded a length of silver cord through the little hole in the top and tied it off and trimmed the ends. I mounted the plastic tag on top of the Rose Red scalloped circle with a big pop-dot.

If you look back at the first picture in this post, you can see that I decorate the side of the tin with black gingham ribbon. This was easily put on with some double sided adhesive.

Because there are brownies in the tin instead of something stamped (I suppose you could stamp brownies, but I'm not sure what kind of effect that would give you), I wanted something else to dress up the tin, but I didn't want to go overboard. I searched through my bins and remembered these awesome little diamond jewels that I found at the the *cough* big craft store *cough." They were quick to put on and gave it the finishing touch that it needed. I mounted them on the ribbon around the bottom of the tin, as well as on the belly band and on top of the tin.

Here's a picture of the brownies inside of the tin.....now just imagine how much more divine they'd be if they had chopped PC cups on top. *licks lips and rubs tummy*

While I was opening up the package of Reese PB Cups for these brownies and I had to laugh at the little message on the piece of cardboard that comes in the package. It sums up my passion for the combination of chocolate and peanut butter so well (yes, I would consider my feelings for PB & chocolate to be a full blown "passion"). It said, "You shouldn't have to choose between chocolate and peanut butter." Talk about words of wisdom!

If you want to make the most delicious PB brownies, this recipe by my mom (Donna, from the Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases Blog) is out of this world: Gourmet Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

My mom just put up a little Feedblitz box at the top of her blog, as well, so that you can subscribe to her blog and get an email every time she updates. You don't want to miss out on her recipes. I can attest that they're all WONDERFUL! I've eaten them all!

Happy Creating!

-Stampin' Mama

Comments

[LuvLee]

Ummmmmmmmm...........Yum, Yum, and sooooooooooo YUM!!!!!!! LOL I love the blinged up nugget tin!! What a great idea!! Yep.....I just KNEW I'd love the baking and treat and gift ideas......OH MY!!!! And yes.......PB and chocolate were very much meant to be together!!! I don't even bother trying to hide it in my house.......I swear they sniff them out!!! Thanks for sharing such a "sweet" idea and very delicious-sounding and looking recipes!!!

[Bunny B]

MMMmmmMMMmmmm!! Love this! I can taste the brownies already! Love the decorated tin too - that's so cool! Am definitely heading on over to your mom's blog and subscribing!

[pat]

Oh, is that darling.I just love what you did with the tin. I can taste the brownies too and they are delicious.

[teresa chapman]

Your posts crack me up ... and I thought I was the only one who picked up empty candy wrappers, changed the empty toilet paper roll, and put empty containers from the fridge to the recycling bin :) Your brownies sound yummy and have me craving some PB cups! Great project. As ususal your work inspires me!

Teresa

[Alison Snow]

Oh my, I'm drooling on my keyboard again... ;)

I have to ask - who gets all these awesome treats and tins that you make up???

Alison

[Gail]

Yummy, yummy. You can almost taste it through the computer. I'll have to try this one.

[Alesha Walls]

Awesome tin and thank you so much for that recipe!

[Carol]

can you say YUM-OH!!! I sure could use one of those delicious-looking brownies right about now! TFS this great idea! (drool)

[Angie]

Hi. My Name is Angie and I am a peanut butter/chocoholic too! Guess what I had for dessert last night???? Yup! peanut butter and chocolate. Only I just got a gob of PB onto a spoon, dumped a bunch of chocolate chips into a bowl, and had a delicious dessert! I'm gonna try your Mom's recipe soon, I'm actually going to call my Mom (who's at the store right now) and have her buy some peanut butter cups!!! Thanks for enabling me!

[Kim Marie]

Yum!

Erika, no need for a new hiding place. Just file them under "extra chores" or "bills to pay"...no one will look there! Tee hee!
Kim :)

[Michele]

I love this! I love those tags!

[Mary C. Anderson]

UGH! I just finished my post to you but lost it before I could send it. Okay, I will try again. Your brownies look delicious. I wish that you and I lived in the same area so that I could hold your stash for you and you could give me one of your brownies. I hate to bake but I will be trying out a few of your mother's recipes. I visited her blog and oh boy! I'm not suppose to eat sugar but I will be soon. :) Your tin came out very pretty Erika. Awesome project once again.

Mary

[Nicole]

Genius, I say!! :D
can't wait to make these!

[christina fischer]

I don't know which I like better -- the container or the thought of eating those brownies!! Love your story about the disappearing PB cups -- that would SO happen at my house! :)

[Elizebeth]

Nothing sounds or looks yummier right now then your brownies!!!! Oh my goodness, make sure to have 2 for me!

(you've had the chocolate-chai rice milk right? I know that's another favorite you have.)

[Nancy]

Mmm, Mmm, Good... Thanks for sharing the recipe... And please tell Mom "Thank You" too!!! Nancy...

[Donna]

what a fun idea to package brownies like this! who wouldn't love to get this? love the bling on it

[boos cutting boards]

These brownies look so yummy!!! I wish my mom would make some of these.