Easy Peasy

The baby is squirming around on a blanket on the floor next to me. The toddler is sleeping. This post will have to be too quick to be any good. But do you know what is really good despite being ridiculously quick and easy? Peanut butter squares. Easy enough even for a mom with a 3-week old baby to make.

They are pretty much Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but prettier. Isn't there something alluring about the sharp, contrasting layers of chocolate and peanut butter? It's just so graphical, and you know how hungry graphics make me.

I got the recipe from Nigella.com, and my only suggestion is in the cutting. The first time I made them, they looked horrible because I tried to speed up the setting by refrigerating them. Then the chocolate cracked when I cut them. So don't refrigerate, just let it set on the counter. If the chocolate is too hard to make those pretty, sharp layers, then dump them chocolate side down on a cutting board and then cut them.

Peanut Butter Squares

for the base:
quarter cup brown sugar
1 and three quarter cups powdered
sugar
half stick unsalted butter
three quarters cup smooth peanut
butter

for the topping:
7oz milk chocolate
3oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 x 9 inch square brownie tin, lined, preferably,
with Silpat

Stir all the ingredients for the base
together until smooth. I use the paddle attachment to my mixer. Press the sandy
mixture into the lined brownie tin and make the surface as even as possible.To
make the topping, melt the chocolates and butter together (in a microwave for
ease, for a minute or two on medium) and spread on the base. Put the tin in the
fridge to set. When the chocolate has hardened, cut into small squares –
because, more-ish as it undeniably is, it is also very rich.Makes approximately
48.