COOKING PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare the brownies: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch pan lightly with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides.
• In a small saucepan, heat the butter and cocoa over low heat until the butter melts, about 5 minutes. Whisk to combine then set aside to cool, 5 minutes.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar, flour and salt. Add the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, incorporating each before adding the next, then add the vanilla and mix until combined.
• Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let the brownies cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the topping: Add the peanut butter to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until softened, about 15 seconds. Stir it well to distribute heat evenly then spread it in an even layer on top of the brownies. Freeze the brownies for at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the frosting: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring often, until both are melted and no lumps remain, about 5 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk and cocoa, and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Spread the frosting over the peanut butter layer and freeze for 30 minutes.
• Remove the brownies from the pan: First, cut the brownies away from the pan edge on both short sides, then lift them out using the parchment paper handles. Cut into 24 squares. Keep refrigerated.

Steps:

• Bring milk and cream to simmer in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk egg and yolk in a medium bowl. Add sugar, cornstarch and flour, and whisk until very well incorporated and almost fluffy.
• Whisk hot milk mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan, and return heat to medium. Boil 1 minute, whisking constantly, or until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk peanut butter into hot pastry cream.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, stir in salt, then cover with plastic wrap directly on cream to prevent skin from forming. Chill at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Prepare the cake layers: Bring a wide pot of shallow water to a very gentle simmer over low heat.
• Place 2/3 of chocolate shards plus solid shortening in a clean 10-inch skillet set over the gently simmering water, and melt slowly. Bring the mixture to 110 degrees, and stir well to create a glossy, uniform consistency. Seed in remaining chocolate shards, and stir until completely melted and glossy, and chocolate tempers to 91 degrees. Remove from heat or turn off simmering water (or both).
• Pulse peanuts in food processor until they’re a coarse meal. Remove, and stir in confectioners’ sugar.
• Drop one wafer sheet into chocolate, giving it a tiny swirl to make sure the entire surface underneath is coated. Retrieve the wafer with tongs, tweezers or two forks, and hover it over the chocolate until dripping stops, then invert wafer, chocolate face down, on a baker’s rack set over parchment to “drain.” You want a film of chocolate to glaze the waffling, but you don’t want to fill the holes enough to pave them over entirely. Repeat with remaining wafer sheets, tempering the chocolate if needed. While chocolate is still tacky, turn wafers chocolate-side up to finish cooling. (Use an offset spatula if needed to gently release wafer from rack.) Before chocolate sets fully, heavily ring edges of two of the chocolate-dipped wafer sheets by sprinkling the prepared peanut mixture in a 1-inch rim. Allow to cool and harden in a cool, dry place.
• To assemble: Pipe or spread 1/3 of the peanut-butter pastry cream uniformly among three of the wafer sheets (on the chocolate-filmed side to prevent sogginess later), reserving one of the peanut-edged sheets as the topper.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, stack the sheets chocolate-side up, using the peanut-crusted sheet on the bottom, the other two plain sheets in between, and top with the last peanut-crusted chocolate wafer sheet.