Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Photo by Katie Kay

The path that led me to these Blondies was a beautiful, complicated, calorie-laden adventure that began and ended with a giant 2 1/2 pound bag of Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and had a whole lot of awesomeness in-between.
For a co-worker's birthday a few weeks ago I wanted to make something with peanut butter and chocolate.  Not because those are his favorite combination of flavors--that was just an added bonus--but because they are MY favorite combination of flavors!  I'm just lucky it happened to be someone's birthday.  I found a delicious looking Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle on Pinterest and gave it a spin.  I (we) loved it so much and I still had 2lbs of Reese's Cups left, so I made it again last weekend for a backyard BBQ at a friend's house.  Again, I'd call it wildly popular.  And crazy-easy to make.  I used Cool Whip the first time and homemade whipped cream the next.  I highly recommend this recipe.  I just didn't take pictures or blog it because I don't take pictures of my food at other people's parties!  Awkward!
After making the Trifle recipe twice, I still had an obscene amount of Reese's Cups left, so I decided to make a variation of my favorite recipe belonging to my mother-in-law.  Blonde Brownies!  She makes them every now and then at Christmas when we visit and I have absolutely ZERO shame when it comes to eating way more than my fair share.  What??  She always makes her kids' favorite M&M cookies.  Every time we see her!  I think it's only fair and right that when she makes my favorite, I should get to eat at least half of them.  Nobody tells me any different, either.
So I made a Blondie recipe (not sure if it's her exact one, but the idea was inspired by her) and threw in about a cup of chopped Miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and I had about 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips lying around that I added as well.  I dropped some more quartered cups on the top before putting in the oven and served them warm and gooey with milk!  These are moan-worthy.  Honestly.  I'm in serious trouble.
Matt's verdict:  "It's not un-like crack cocaine!"
Peanut Butter Cup Blondies
2 sticks butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups flour 1 cup miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup miniature Reese's Cups, quartered
Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 8x8 baking pan with Pam, then line with parchment paper.  I just folded my corners in no particularly precise way.
Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Add sugars and stir with fork until lumps are gone.  Add eggs one at a time, stirring until combined.  Add vanilla, salt, then flour, stirring between each until combined.  Mix in coarsely chopped cups and mini chocolate chips; pour in pan.
Sprinkle quartered miniature cups over top of batter, then bake for 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick is mostly clean.  
I like it gooey. :)