Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Brownies

Be prepared for heaven when you get a taste of these brownies with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup type of twist. This recipe comes from the kitchen of Julie Witty of John Day, and she prepared the dessert you see in the picture above – YUM! Julie found this recipe at Food Network's website, and tailored it for a quicker fix by using a brownie mix.
You don’t have to worry about eating too many because they are so rich I could hardly eat one! I made these myself yesterday – shared with family for Father’s Day – and they are perfect with vanilla ice cream on the side!

Brownie Layer:
Nonstick cooking spray
Boxed Brownie Mix for a 9x13-inch pan, prepared according to package directions.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Layer:
1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Ganache Layer:
3/4 C. dark chocolate chips
1/4 C. heavy whipping cream
1/4 C. coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
Prepare brownies according to package directions, and let cool for 30 minutes.
For the peanut butter cookie dough: Add the butter and brown sugar to a large bowl and mix until creamy. Mix in the milk and the peanut butter, then stir in the flour and salt. Spread the peanut butter cookie dough evenly over the cooled brownies.
To make the ganache: In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the ganache over the peanut butter layer and top with the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until the dough and ganache are set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.