Dr. Haffly's 'Magic' Brownies

No, its not what you think. These aren't magic in the traditional, uh, sense. They are magic because they were quite possibly the sole reason I passed 7th grade algebra. You see, math is not one of my gifts. I had the most awesome teacher in seventh grade, Dr. Haffly, who was very patient with my math antics. He spent long hours trying to teach me fractions and percentages. He tried to so hard to teach me his methods. Much to his dismay, I never really got the percentage bit. To this day, and you can laugh at me Math Nerds (Merry Jo!), I divide the number by 100, then multiply by the percentage number I want to figure. I actually do know how to do it the right way, but its a habit now. To sort of 'smooth the way,' I made my teacher some brownies to help earn myself some...he, he...brownie points. Really, the brownies had nothing to do with my passing or failing, but they have since become legend. I have even shipped them cross country. Dr. Haffly has sadly passed away, but the brownies continue to have a life of their own. I have made them so many times I have the recipe memorized. And just in case you need a little help passing your math class, or just want to eat some darn good brownies, here is the recipe:

Dr. Haffly's Magic Brownies

1 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 C. crisco
4 eggs
3/4 C. cocoa
1 C. chocolate chips
2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

(...and chocolate chips and peanut butter for topping)

Mix all ingredients together. Yes, there is only one cup of flour. (No one said these are good for you, they are just plain good.) Bake in greased 9 by 13 pan for 25 minutes or so, till done. These are fudgy brownies, by the way. Then...and here is the magic part...when they get out of the oven, sprinkle the top with a couple handfuls of chocolate chips. Then, drop spoonfuls of peanut butter about every two inches apart, more or less. Note: I actually buy a special jar of the extra-creamy, partially hydrogenated type peanut butter for these....the natural peanut butter is not as good for this purpose. After you add the dollops of peanut butter, sprinkle on some more chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. The chocolate chips and peanut butter will start to melt. Spread and swirl it around with a butter knife till top is evenly covered. These are really good warm, and really good cooled. Just make sure to share!