Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies...

We tossed caution to the wind with the Treat Day goodies we made for Jeff's co-workers last week - I mean, who *really* puts raw cookie dough on top of an already baked pan of brownies and then calls it done? Well, in fact, we did just that by making these outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies.

I found the idea for this killer layered sweet from Michelle over at Brown Eyed Baker - it went directly to the back of my mind and sat there, teasing me, until the perfect time came up to make it.

Underneath that thick layer of cookie dough (and yes, it is egg-free and safe to eat by the handfuls, raw) is a brownie that is neither cake-y nor gooey - it fell somewhere in between, best described as moist and a bit chewy. Rich in brown sugar, to give a slight zing and bump up the chocolate factor, I did toss in a bit of espresso powder into the batter. Hang around the lower amount listed if you don't want too much of a coffee bite, or, if you like, knock it up to the full teaspoon and grab a buzz!

While the brownies were off cooling from their short stint in the oven, we had plenty of time to haul out the mixer and get going on the cookie dough topping. You'll find the classic ingredients to chocolate chip cookies - butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt (don't skimp on this since we call for unsalted butter), plenty of fragrant vanilla and instead of the normal eggs you'd find, a few tablespoons of milk to smooth all the ingredients out.

I do suggest you give plenty of time to the creaming step - several minutes, with a couple stops every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This should hone down the edge of the graininess you get from the sugars in an unbaked dough. You could use mini chocolate chips if you like, but we're fans of robust bittersweet chocolate here - chop the pieces small, but not to dust. About half the size of your average chocolate chip to keep slicing the treats easy.

I don't think they needed it, but if you really wanted to take these over the top (as if they were not already), give them a fancy smear of ganache or, perhaps, a judicious scattering of more chopped bittersweet chocolate. Decidedly rich and decadent, you will want to keep these on the smaller side when cutting - also, give them plenty of time in the refrigerator to chill before taking a knife to them. I wasn't able to have any (more on that on another day... believe me, it nearly killed me not to try them), but Jeff gave his quality control approval by eating two (!) the night before he brought them in!

17 comments:

  1. I made these and everyone loved them. My husband didn't love the texture but he's not a big fan of cookie dough. I could eat it by the spoonful. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. those look so good, I have seen plenty of cookie brownie bars, but none like this. I want to try it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is on the to-do list Joe. My kids love cookie dough. Glad you are posting treats of the week. Can't wait for your Holiday Baking posts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. My husband would LOVE these, thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just took a pan of your butterscotch brownies out of the oven and frosted them with that magnificent brown sugar frosting--and you make these! Now I have another brownie recipe to try. My waistline thanks you (said in a sarcastic tone). Oh well. I can work on my "moderation."

    ReplyDelete
  6. Joe, my daughter's favorite ice cream is chocolate chip cookie dough. I can see her really liking these brownies. Thanks for the recipe.
    (glad to see you posting again)

    ctr264

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look great! Bye the way....your doggies are really cute!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooohhh, those look amazing. I've never heard of such a brownie. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Those look amazing. I'll have to try those for our potluck this friday. Thanks for the posting!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've made these a few times now, they combine 2 of my favourite things, how could I resist? Besides, I always say I like raw cookie dough better than baked cookies, so these are perfect for me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love brownies, love cookie dough. I predict I'll love these too :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cookie dough... I could eat them forever! I surely can't wait to try this one out. *Sprints to the kitchen*

    ReplyDelete
  13. These look extremely delicious and luxurious! I love the combination of creamy white and chocolate..mm

    ReplyDelete
  14. Are you going to talk about the goodies that you will bake this year?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am always amazed and delighted at the variety of goodies you make this time of year! Are you relying on tried and trues for this year or going to explore new recipes?

    Miss the regular posts, but your blog is still a reglar "go to" for ideas and inspriration! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete