Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Brownies with a layer of cookie dough running through them. If you have some brownie mix on hand, you can substitute brownie mix brownies for the bottom layer. If you use this recipe, you'll get rather thick brownies. For thinner brownies with a higher ratio of cookie dough to brownie, make ¾ of the base recipe but keep the filling and topping the same.
Servings 24
Cost 5
Ingredients
Brownie Base:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (228 grams)
- 2 ¼ cups sugar (450 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups Dutch-process cocoa (not natural)**
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Filling:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190 grams)
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt, omit if using salted butter or just use a pinch
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed (150 grams)
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (75 grams)
- 3 tablespoons milk (42 grams)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Topping:
- 1 ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ teaspoons coconut oil, shortening or butter
- ¼ cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 inch or 2 8-inch pans with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
- In a 3 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and cook gently, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until sugar melts and mixture takes on a nice sheen.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Dutch process cocoa powder until smooth.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes, Stir or whisk in the eggs (one by one), then add the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the batter, stirring until blended. Add chocolate chips (make sure batter is cool before adding chips).
- Spread batter in pan and bake for 25 minutes or until brownies are set. Let brownies cool on a rack for at least a half hour. Note: Get a jump on heat treating the flour. Start doing it while the brownies are baking so that the heated flour will have plenty of time to cool.
- Prepare filling. Heat treat your flour by baking it at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes or until it registers 165F. Alternatively, you can microwave it for 30 seconds, stir, heat again, stir, repeating until it reaches 165F. It will form lumps, so sift it after heating. Let cool.
- Beat together butter, salt, both sugars, milk and vanilla. Add flour and stir until flour is incorporated. Spread this mixture over cooled brownies and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help firm up dough. Alternative, you can press the mixture into a 13x9 inch rectangle between two sheets of plastic wrap, then carefully invert it onto the brownies.
- In a microwave-safe bowl or in a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter. If using a microwave, combine chocolate and butter and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted. Spread melted chocolate mixture over cookie dough. Sprinkle walnuts over top. Allow chocolate to set, then lift from pan and cut into bars.
- After cutting, try to keep them chilled for as long as possible. They are better when they are not gooey.
Notes
Natural cocoa powder is acidic, and since this recipe has baking powder (also acidic) it needs the alkaline Dutch. Using natural might give you dry brownies. If you only have natural cocoa powder, just use a different brownie recipe for the base.