Should I hit “publish”? Millions of complete strangers are going to read what I’ve just written… is it really a good idea to get so personal? Someone could twist the meaning of my words, or I could unintentionally offend someone. What if I’ve worded something poorly and it comes across in a way I didn’t intend? There’s still time to back out!
This was me on Monday, before sending the Chocolate Covered Katie Anorexic? post out into the world.
Close eyes. Hit publish. Can’t back out now.
Whenever I publish a post, I try not to think about anyone reading; I try to pretend it’s back in the old days, like when I wrote my very first blog post and had exactly zero readers aside from myself. And maybe my dog.
Anyway, the worry was unfounded in this case. I’ve never been so moved by a response to a blog post as I was on Monday.
Turning on the computer and seeing the kindness from readers around the world who took time out of their day to message someone they’d never met was so heartwarming.
Hopefully this post does not sound too sappy… I can’t seem to find the right words for just how grateful I am for the support, compassion, and love.
You all mean the world to me. I hope you know that.
Now I’ll stop talking for a while, and—true Italian that I am—will instead express my gratitude through food.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownies include many of the foods I love most in the world: peanut butter, chocolate, brownies, and… is there even anything else?
Those are the only foods that matter, in my extraordinarily-humble (and not-at-all-biased) opinion.
Thank you again for your kindness towards me… And enjoy the buckeye brownies!!
I only wish I could make and send them to you for real!
If you could choose just ONE favorite food to eat for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
Such a tough question! I’m not sure what my absolute favorite food would be! Oh wait… Yes I am. 
Oh wait… Yes I am.
Peanut Butter Buckeye Brownies
Brownie Layer:
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk of choice (270g)
- 2 tbsp flaxmeal (11g)
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp vegetable or coconut oil (110g)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (15g)
- 1 cup spelt, all-purpose, or Bob’s gf flour (120g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder (80g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or date sugar (115g)
- 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- only if using Bob’s flour, add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/3 cup stevia baking blend or regular sugar
- 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
Buckeye Brownies: Preheat your oven to 330F and grease a 9×13 pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all liquid ingredients with the flax. (Note: If baking with coconut oil, melt first and have all other liquid ingredients be at room temperature to prevent hardening.) In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine all remaining ingredients. Pour wet into dry, stir to combine, and pour into prepared pan. Bake 16 minutes. Brownies will look underdone when they come out but this is okay! Let cool, then refrigerate overnight and the texture will firm up nicely. DO NOT frost and eat until the next day, as the taste and texture will change while they set. (If you’d prefer a flourless option, you can use 1.5x my Black Bean Brownies as the base instead.)
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 1 cup peanut butter, or allergy-friendly alternative (230g)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (120g), or more if needed
- pinch stevia, or 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
Do this after the brownies have set: Bring the peanut butter to room temperature if it’s been chilled, then stir all ingredients together until smooth. It will look thin at first, but keep stirring until it gets thick! Spread evenly over the brownies, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Then make the chocolate, leaving the brownies in the fridge until the chocolate is already made:
Chocolate Layer:
- 1/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder (20g)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (15g)
- 1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil (38g) (Coconut-Free Option: You can just use melted chocolate chips for the top)
Stir together all ingredients until a thin sauce forms. If sauce is too thick, gently heat until thin. Spread evenly over the brownies, then immediately put back in the fridge to harden the coating. Once hard, you can cut the brownies. My trick is to cut brownies with a plastic knife, wiping the knife after every cut. Store leftovers in the fridge, or they are actually really good frozen as well!
Link Of The Day:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I made these today!!! SO GOOD! thank you!
Thank you so much for trying them!!
Those brownies are extremely sexy.
For pete’s sake! I can’t look at your pictures cause I’m getting some serious brownie-craving right now and it’s almost midnight…too late for me to run to the grocery shop and get all the ingredients I need.
I must try this recipe, so delicious and decadent!
xoxo
This looks absolutely delicious! I think the chocolate on top is my favorite part 🙂
Katie, I didn’t respond the other day to your post because so many had said what I was thinking. Let me just say that we all go through stages in our life that makes us who we are. Some of those are good and some are bad. I tell my children who are now adults, Never regret what or who your life brings to your door or even poor choices you make because all of that helps us grow into who we are to become. Dust yourself off and learn from it all! You are a celebrity of sorts and unfortunately you are therefore micro analyzed. I think you should be proud of who you are and your response to the haters! You are beautiful and talented! Keep up the good work!
This looks so good! Almost calls for a caramel layer too!
Those brownies look mouth-wateringly good! I made a batch of brownies last week; if only I had seen this post, I could’ve added peanut butter and chocolate on top! Great idea!
I would choose bread (if I could only eat one thing). However, I think my favorite dessert is … hmmm … ice cream … and then I am addicted to peanuts and peanut butter 😀
And these bars – I’m sure they are yummmmmmmmmy – and they have peanut butter!
Considering everything you so kindly and generously give of yourself to us, you deserve nothing less than all the support and compassion in the world in return.
JUST discovered your website tonight (via a link from Slender Kitchen)….OH.MY.CHOCOHOLIC .HEART!!!!! I LOVE that you have recipes for things I would really ‘try’….and THANK YOU for listing WW points in your nutritional info! As a WW 70lb ‘loser’ with a sweet tooth …. You are my new HERO!!!
Thank you so much!!
You are amazing Katie and I have so much respect for you publishing your previous post! 🙂 I can’t think of a better way to show love than through these amazing looking brownies – Pinned!
Brownies made! The wait. Sigh. If you can’t wait like me and scooped a corner out it is like an amazing lava cake. I will frost the rest. Tomorrow. 🙂
Hope they turn out well!
Amazing! I am really pleased with them. I almost didn’t frost them because the brownies are pretty good on their own, but the frosting definitely completed them. Wow.
Has anybody tried making these with almond flour? Any suggestions on how to make the substitution?
Thanks!
Glad you got such a good response. These brownies look amazing!! I am super lovin’ the chocolate, peanut butter combo!
I wish I had found your blog closer to the time when it was you and your dog. Seriously, why did it take me this long to jump on board??
I asked my work colleagues this same question recently. I was thinking that my answer would be fresh raspberries because they are so good and so expensive in Australia! However they decided it would be burritos and burritos made me reconsider my answer. I love black bean burritos!!
I also liked your last post! Your recipes are excellent and I make them frequently and bring treats to share at work (it’s vegan but I swear it’s good!!)