Brownies with m&m's and Peanut Butter

WARNING: Highly addictive, must be consumed with a large glass of cold milk.

In High School, my friend Sarah and I used to make these brownies, but just with m&m's. We would eat them with vanilla ice cream when they were still warm, have a sleep over, and then eat some more for breakfast. Brownies make a delicious breakfast. When we went to college, we both took the recipe with us. We each gained a reputation for making yummy brownies and bringing them to parties or meetings, and sometimes to work. Not surprisingly, both of our Husbands love these brownies!

When Greg was waiting for surgery, his meds really decreased his appetite. Since he was losing weight and didn't want to eat much, I started making sure that there was always had a batch of brownies in the apartment so he would get some calories. I knew they were high in calories, and I started adding about a cup of peanut butter so he would get some protein, too. It seemed to work, he stopped losing weight as fast. We also brought them to Dan and Rebecca's once, where Rebecca dressed them up with fresh strawberry's and cool whip. They were amazing like that.

The only real changes Sarah and I keep making to the recipe is the amount and type of cocoa powder. We've always put an extra tsp of cocoa in, and most of the time I use half dark cocoa, half regular. The peanut butter was a new addition this year. Normally, we use baking m&m's, but I couldn't find any at the store. If you look, you'll notice that the regular m&m's all sunk to the bottom of the pan and the candy coating bled a bit. The extra sugar at the bottom formed an interesting crisp layer (much like an m&m shell...). Greg said it was like a sugary surprise, since you can't tell by looking at the top or sides. Next time, I'll wait for the baking m&m's.

Recipe:

3/4 C. butter, melted
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 C. flour
4 tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C. baking m&m's
1 C. peanut butter

-Melt butter in a large bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add m&m's.

-Pour into a greased 9x9 pan or 8x8 pan (a 9x13 works, as do muffin tins, but the cookings time are lower, I'm not sure what they are. I generally start at 15 minutes and keep adding time until they are baked).

- Add the peanut butter in several glops. Spread throughout with a spoon. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

-Enjoy!