Browned Butter Brookies
It’s cookie season! Normally this time of year I start making tons and tons of cookies. See, by this time, I’d already have had my annual Christmas party with tons of desserts and cocktails. But as you all know, this year, things are a little different. This year there was no party and with the new shutdown orders, there isn’t going to be one any time soon.
Normally, I’d be handing out sweet treats as gifts to teachers, trainers and everyone in my little social network. But with these new orders we’re not even supposed to give out food. If you want to give anything, you’re supposed to have it delivered or give a gift card so the receiver can choose what they want. But I’ve never been a fan of gift cards. There’s no surprise in that, there’s no mystery and it’s a whole hell of a lot less fun! So, like a lot of Southern California, I’m rebelling. I’m still cooking and baking and I’m still giving treats as gifts, dammit! And there’s nothing out there that says you can’t do the same. As a matter of fact, since we’re not seeing anyone, a little box of yummy treats is the perfect way to let someone know you’re thinking of them. It’s a great way to bring a smile to their faces and celebrate the holiday.
Chocolate is usually my go to when I make sweet treats. I love a rich chocolate cookie or bar, and most people I know feel the same way. My favorite finger food is hands down a brownie. But my other favorite is the classic chocolate chip cookie. Well, it turns out there’s a dessert out there that combines them!
One benefit to this awful pandemic is that I’ve discovered a lot of new and interesting food and drink trends. There was the Dalgona Coffee, a ton of different kinds of bread and the pink pineapple! Along with those cool recipes, I also discovered the Brookie!
I don’t know how I’d never heard of the Brookie before considering it’s my two favorite desserts rolled into one. That’s right part brownie, part chocolate chip cookie, it’s 100 percent perfection. How do you get both? Simply mix up both batters and bake them together. I say simply like mixing up two batters is no big thing. I know it takes a little extra work and a lot more mixing bowls, but the end result is sooooooo worth it! Trust me! And can you imagine giving these out for the holidays? Or eating them all yourself? No judgement here because Hubs had to tear me away from the serving tray.
While I’ll provide a recipe, you can really use whichever brownie or chocolate chip recipe is your favorite. Want to add nuts to one or both batters? Go for it. Like peanut butter with your chocolate, use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate. Want a little creaminess? Toss some marshmallows in. Seriously, there’s no wrong way to make them. I like my chocolate chip cookies a little richer so I usually brown my butter first. But no matter which recipes you use, putting these two desserts together will definitely bring the holiday cheer. And let’s be honest, we all need some serious cheer this year.
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup espresso chips
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.
Make the Brownies
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a small pan over low heat, stirring occasionally until fully melted and combined. Pour into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and mix until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour and salt and stir until just combined.
- Stir in the espresso chips until combined and set aside.
Make the Cookie dough
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
- Place the butter in a small pan and melt over medium-low heat, swirling the whole time until it turns a golden brown and develops a nutty smell. (Make sure you watch it closely, otherwise your brown butter will turn to burned butter and we don’t want that.) Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour the melted butter into a bowl of an electric mixer. Add both sugars and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla and egg and beat for another minute.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
Assemble the Brookies
- Dollop half the cookie dough, in small spoonfuls, into the prepared pan.
- Pour the brownie batter over the dollops of cookie dough and smooth with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the brownie batter with large pinches of the remaining cookie dough.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.
