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Sweet Treats & Sweet Friends: Sweet & Salty Dark Fudge Brownies with Pretzel Bites and Peanut Butter Frosting + Food Blogger Awards!

You deserve something sweet.

Not only because sweet things are absolutely delicious, but because you are sweet.

I feel so blessed to have gotten to know so many wonderful food bloggers over the past several months.

When I first started this blog, never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would meet so many beautiful souls, each one unique and special in their own ways.

Thank you.

Thank you for inspiring me every day with your creative and inventive dishes, for always being supportive to fellow food bloggers, and more importantly, for making me laugh with all the insane and wacky things you guys come up with in comments and Twitter! You guys are truly goofballs, but I love it!

Rita, from The Culinary Taste, awarded me the Stylish Blogger Award a few weeks ago. I was thrilled! And overwhelmed! How could I possibly narrow it down to just 10 people to award it to next?

But, the more I thought about it, the easier the decision felt.

To receive this Stylish Blogger Award you must:

1.  Write a post and link back to the person who awarded you this award.

2.  Share 7 things about yourself. Silly and embarrassing facts are strongly encouraged.

3.  Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.

4.  Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

Okay, here goes:

Seven Interesting or Not So Interesting Things About Myself

#1: I only have about 20 teeth. When I was young, I had braces and my dentist insisted I keep getting several of my teeth removed to help with my overbite. Needless to say, I got my braces removed and I still have a slight overbite. On the bright side, it doesn’t take me as long to floss.

#2: I am an avid World of Warcraft online gamer nerd. That’s right. I play video games. A lot of them. It’s gotten to the point where I dream “in-character.” Yah.

#3: I have a strong belief that I was abducted by aliens when I was 9 years old. I used to have these recurring dreams where I would get sucked up into this vestibule, paralyzed, and be surrounded by strange, bright, tall looking alien folk. I currently have an electronic nodule deeply inserted into my brain to track all thoughts, whereabouts, and erratic tendencies.

#4: My husband and I met in an online Yahoo chat room back in 1997. That was before Match & eHarmony, folks! We married in 2004.

#5: I am obsessed with the number 26. I love the way it looks.

#6: I once called 911 to complain about my broken TV. I was 5. My parents weren’t happy.

#7: I used to live on a ranch where all I did was ride horses, chase deer, and eat freshly picked figs straight off the tree.

And done. There you go! Just a thin layer of my weird personality.

So, here are the chosen few of wonderful food bloggers I’m handing the award to…

Monet from Anecdotes and Apple Cores

Theresa from Island Vittles

Chelsea from Sprinkles of Parsley

Steph from Steph’s Bite by Bite

Christina from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Jessica from Bacon and Soufflé

Lil from Sweets by Sillianah

Tiffany from Como Water

Lora from Cake Duchess

Victoria from So This Brunette Walks Into a Kitchen

These gals are fabulous, just fabulous! Always inspired by the things they whip up! Do give them a visit!

Okay, as promised.

Here’s the sweet treat.

I actually made these quite a few weeks ago and they were majorly yummy. They pretty much speak for themselves.

No more stalling. Have at it!

Sweet & Salty Dark Fudge Brownies with Pretzel Bites and Peanut Butter Frosting

Print the Recipe

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes (inactive)

Servings: Yields 1 large baking sheet

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

 

*Adapted from Bake at 350

1 ¼ C. flour

1 t. salt

2 T. dark cocoa powder

6 oz. dark chocolate; coarsely chopped

5 oz. bittersweet unsweetened chocolate

¾ C. peanut butter chips; dusted with flour

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 ½ C. sugar

½ C. firmly packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 t. vanilla extract

1 small bag peanut butter filled pretzel bites

For the frosting:

 

*From Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

1 C. confectioners’ sugar

1 C. creamy peanut butter

5 T. unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ t. vanilla extract

¼ t. kosher salt

1/3 C. heavy cream

Cooking Instructions:

 

For the brownies:

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a large baking sheet with a greased sheet of parchment paper, cutting to size. Butter the top of the parchment paper as well.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over simmering water to begin the melting process, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted completely. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the warm water. Whisk in both sugars until fully combined and then remove the bowl from the pot.

Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly.

Add 3 eggs to the cooled chocolate mixture and use a whisk to combine fully. Add in the remaining 2 eggs and whisk to incorporate. Then, add the vanilla and flour-dusted peanut butter chips, and mix together, being careful not to over-mix the batter.

Slowly begin to add the flour mixture, using a spatula to gently fold in the ingredients until fully combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the baking sheet and use a spatula to ease the mixture to all the corners and sides. Tap the baking sheet onto your counter or stovetop to release air bubbles.

Place the brownies in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.

Take the brownies out of the oven and allow to cool slightly before placing in the fridge overnight. Giving the brownies 24 hours allows for a much richer, deeper flavor.

On brownie day, take them out of the fridge and ease them out of the baking sheet. They should come out easily with the parchment paper. Peel off the parchment paper and discard.

Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies into squares. Set aside.

 

For the frosting:

 

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Cream this mixture together on medium-low speed until fully combined, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the heavy cream and increase the speed to high, working until the mixture is smooth.

Using an offset spatula, top each brownie with a layer of peanut butter frosting and finish with a sprinkle of cracked peanut butter-filled pretzel bites.

Provecho!

XO,

Steph

30 comments
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  • Steph@stephsbitebybiteFebruary 17, 2011 - 6:12 pm

    THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much 🙂 That’s super sweet!ReplyCancel

  • lil @ sweetsbysillianahFebruary 17, 2011 - 8:04 pm

    OMG. Stephanie, these brownies look amazing…seriously, I just got over saying how I needed to watch my sugar intake but brownies with PB & salty pretzels?? I love pretzels and chocolate…

    ok, now that I’ve wiped the drool off my chin – thanks so much for this award! ditto to everything you said… i’m glad to have come across so many talented foodies in such a short time! you are definitely one of them… looking forward to sharing more recipes and stories! btw, #6 made me LOL! =DReplyCancel

  • Christina @ Sweet Pea's KitchenFebruary 17, 2011 - 11:25 pm

    OMG these brownies look amazing!! Brownies, peanut butter frosting and pretzels? I love it!! I can only imagine how amazing they taste! I have to make these soon!! Thank you so much for thinking of me for the blogging award! I am very flattered! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Island VittlesFebruary 17, 2011 - 11:26 pm

    awww…thanks Steph…I’ll get over my blushing and start thinking about some interesting things about myself…hmmm…that could take a while. It might also take a big bowl of that peanut butter frosting to get the ol’ creativity flowing! TheresaReplyCancel

  • RitaFebruary 18, 2011 - 6:02 am

    Stephanie, you ARE my heroin (I’m not talking about drugs… :P). The 7 things about you are amazing! I pissed my pants!! BTW, my hubs plays videogames, too and he’s an online gamer nerd (he plays a lot of games from poker to Hattrick): you’d be great friends if you met… 😀ReplyCancel

  • ElaineyFebruary 18, 2011 - 9:44 am

    number four and six are my favorite! 😉ReplyCancel

  • Lora @cakeduchessFebruary 18, 2011 - 10:57 am

    Hi Steph-I loved reading those fun facts about you. The 911 call is the best;)
    Thank you for the great award and the kind words. You’re the bomb and I’m so happy we met. These brownies are amazing!!ReplyCancel

  • MAryFebruary 18, 2011 - 11:20 am

    Congratulations on your well-deserved award. It was really nice learning a bit more about you. Your brownies sound delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…MaryReplyCancel

  • Fresh and FoodieFebruary 18, 2011 - 3:58 pm

    Good. God. You’ve combined a few of my absolute favorite things into one recipe! These are ridiculous. I’m at a loss for words, and that rarely happens. Haha.ReplyCancel

  • JessicaFebruary 18, 2011 - 4:32 pm

    Congratulations!!! You definitely deserve the award!

    And thank you so much for passing it on to me. I am flattered!!! =D By the way, yahoo chatrooms ROCK. It’s where ‘chat’ began 😉

    Now, on to your dark fudge brownies… oh my! They look to be the richest, creamiest, and most chocolate-y tasting brownies ever. They look fantastic!ReplyCancel

  • Junia @ Mis PensamientosFebruary 18, 2011 - 5:21 pm

    oh my, i love pb fudgey brownies!!! these look decadent!ReplyCancel

  • Chelsea @ Sprinkles of ParsleyFebruary 18, 2011 - 9:18 pm

    Ahh!! I’ve been so MIA with twitter I didn’t even see your message until now!! Thanks SO MUCH!! That was such a nice suprise!! Congrats on your award 🙂 It’s well deserved!

    Although I’ve been in lala land these last couple of days, I did however, notice this amazing recipe on facebook when you posted it. Your picture jumped out at me it looked SO good!! This is a must try recipe for sure!!ReplyCancel

  • CooketteFebruary 18, 2011 - 10:03 pm

    Chocolate + PB + Pretzels in one dessert?!?!? WOW! Love it!!!ReplyCancel

  • AnnaFebruary 18, 2011 - 10:20 pm

    Congrats on your award, the brownies look absolutely delicious. Yummmm!!ReplyCancel

  • MonetFebruary 19, 2011 - 12:41 am

    You are so sweet! I feel very honored to be mentioned on your blog…I’m so in love with what you do here (how can I not with these amazing brownies!) I loved learning a little bit more about you…I think we would have been friends as children 🙂 Thank you for sharing your heart and these treats. I hope you have a blessed Saturday!ReplyCancel

  • Angie's RecipesFebruary 19, 2011 - 6:41 am

    Chocolate brownie with peanut butter frosting…that’s a treat in heaven!ReplyCancel

  • fooddreamerFebruary 19, 2011 - 3:15 pm

    Holy moley, how did I miss these, Steph? I’ve had a busy week with sick kids and have been behind on visiting blogs but these are AH-MAZING. congrats on the awards too!ReplyCancel

  • Chef DennisFebruary 20, 2011 - 3:42 pm

    hi Steph

    congratulation on your award and what a great bunch of bloggers you passed it on to!
    I loved all that you shared about yourself….I would never have imagined you a world of warcraft player! Being from the south I know many folks who were also abducted by aliens, although most do reside in trailer parks!!
    now lets get to those brownies…WOW….they look so very very good, and you really took them to the next level with that frosting!
    Cheers
    DennisReplyCancel

  • lisaiscookingFebruary 20, 2011 - 4:39 pm

    I love a brownie with frosting, and this looks like an amazing one! Great mix of flavors. Wish I could grab one right now!ReplyCancel

  • SusiFebruary 20, 2011 - 9:14 pm

    OK, first off congrats on your award and let me just say how much I enjoyed your 7 facts. I love how quirky some of them are :o)
    Your brownies look out of this world amazing. Love the combination of sweet/salty/crunchy. I don’t think they would last long in my house :o)ReplyCancel

  • ChristaFebruary 20, 2011 - 9:50 pm

    Go Steph! Geez, I’m so proud of your commitment and charisma as a chef! You deserve the award for sure!
    Those brownies look dark and rich enough to satisfy even my chocolate cravings! Yum!ReplyCancel

  • KristenFebruary 22, 2011 - 7:04 am

    I cannot wait to try these! The chocolate, the peanut butter, the frosting, the pretzels!!! It is a fabulous combination.ReplyCancel

  • Lisa @ Tarte du JourFebruary 22, 2011 - 2:15 pm

    Your dessert looks oh so decadent and delicious! Nice to meet you new friend!ReplyCancel

  • sippitysupFebruary 23, 2011 - 9:29 pm

    Freshly picked figs straight from the tree. Now that’s a memory worthy of an award. Congrats. GREGReplyCancel

  • Mary @ Delightful BitefulsFebruary 24, 2011 - 11:37 am

    OH MY!!!!! I’m dying! This has got to be my fav combo! Delish!!!

    Great blog; happy I found you!

    Mary xx
    Delightful BitefulsReplyCancel

  • Lemons and AnchoviesMarch 1, 2011 - 10:12 am

    Congrats on your award and I love the tidbits of info you shared with us. Figs in your own backyard? Jealous.

    And these brownies? Love everything about them!ReplyCancel

  • […] Sweet and Salty Dark Fudge Brownies with Pretzel Bites and Peanut Butter Frosting from Okie Dokie Ar… […]ReplyCancel

  • Jessica S. @ FloptimismSeptember 21, 2013 - 4:41 pm

    Hi there! My name is Jessica, and I run a food blog called Floptimism. Every week, I write a Weekend Wrap-Up where I share some of my favorite blog posts, recipes, and articles from the past week. I absolutely fell in love with these brownies after seeing them on Gojee – the pictures are breathtaking and it’s an incredible flavor combo – and wanted to let you know that I featured them this week. I also feature one of the photographs, with full credit and link-back. If you’re interested, I’ve left the link to the wrap-up below. Thank you for such a beautiful post, and I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!

    http://www.floptimism.com/2013/09/weekend-wrap-up-pb-chocolate.htmlReplyCancel

  • JujuJanuary 19, 2014 - 11:53 am

    Are these made in a sheet pan or a 10″ x 13″ pan which I normally use for brownies?ReplyCancel

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