Recipe Review: Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

Recipe Review:

Ooey-Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients

¾ cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup butter or stick margarine, melted and cooled

¼ cup fat-free milk

1 (18.25- ounce) package devil’s food cake mix

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème

½ cup peanut butter chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine ¼ cup condensed milk, butter, and next 3 ingredients (batter will be very stiff). Coat bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press two-thirds of batter into prepared pan using floured hands; pat evenly (layer will be thin).

3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Combine ½ cup condensed milk and marshmallow crème in a bowl; stir in chips. Spread marshmallow mixture evenly over brownie layer. Carefully drop remaining batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen

Ease of Preparation: This is not a quick or easy recipe. Not only does it require multiple steps, it requires very precise cooking times and constant attention. Although the ingredient list is basic and short, the process of combining the items and baking them properly is not. The brownie batter is boxed which allows for easy preparation; however, it very sticky and dense and must be patted down into the bottom of the pan. This is tricky because the batter clings to your hands and doesn’t spread easily. This part must be cooked for 10 minutes and then the marshmallow mixture is added on top; however it sinks into the cooked brownie and causes a mess. Overall, this recipe was fairly frustrating and not enjoyable to make.

Quality of Recipe: The recipe was average I would say. For the amount of work and time that this recipe takes, the final product is nothing special. Also, the cooking times for the various aspects of this dish are slightly off and I think the recipe should allow time for the various layers to cool. By doing this, the mess I mentioned before would be avoided.

Taste: The brownies ended up tasting like normal chocolate brownies with a hint of peanut butter. I would suggest adding actual peanut butter to the batter to infuse the brownies with more flavor. I enjoyed the taste of these treats; however, they were nothing special and were slightly less satisfying than boxed brownies.