double chocolate chip cookie brownies

January 10, 2011 by 14 Comments

Think for a moment if you will about some of the greatest pairings in history. Milli and Vanilli. Snooki and Four Loko. Piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. Brownies and chocolate chip cookies.

Yes, you heard me correctly. The marriage of double chocolate brownies and ooey, gooey chocolate chip cookies will go down in history as one of the greatest matches ever made. This pair may not garner its own china or commemorative coins (ahem…William and Kate), but should be crowned royally all the same.

I first heard of this mash-up a few years ago from Bakerella. In her version Betty Crocker box mixes are employed, which is easy and quick and I won’t chastise you if you do it. But since it’s 2011, we need to step it up people. It’s time to take these brookies (or cownies, if you prefer) to the next level.

I started with a batch of my favorite double chocolate brownies, which are the most decadent, chocolately brownies that I’ve ever come across.

Then I dotted some of my favorite gooey chocolate chip cookies on top.

If I were cookie dough (which I probably am by now—at least 25%), I would love to swim in a sea of double chocolate brownie batter. Wouldn’t you?

Pop that lovely pan in the oven, and you’ve created an instant classic.

Lightly crusty on top, but oh-so-gooey in the center.

The hardest part is waiting for them to cool. My dear toddler was so patient that she was rewarded with a handsome slice and a chaser of milk.

If you’re short on time (or lazy, which I am—at least 25%) you could make the brownie batter and use those break-apart Tollhouse numbers on top. I won’t tell. But please, I beg of you: don’t skip the double chocolate brownie recipe. You’ll thank me later.

And your belly will thank you for these. Your new years resolutions, however, may not be so grateful.

-RDG

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Nearly any brownie or cookie recipe will do—I use two of my favorites. A little gooeyness in the middle is okay, and much preferred to over-baking. Yields one 9″x13″ pan, or 24 cookie brownies.

  • One batch double chocolate brownie batter (see below)
  • One batch chocolate chip cookie dough (see below)

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 9″x13″ pan and pour in the brownie batter. Dot with 2 tbsp amounts of cookie dough. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool at least 4 hours before slicing.

Double Chocolate Brownies

This recipe is adapted from one printed on a scrap of an old chocolate chip bag in Mom’s kitchen. Possibly 1980?s Nestle? At any rate, neither Mom or I can take the credit for these delicious brownies. Makes one large batch (24 or more brownies) in a 9×13? pan–see notes below on making a half batch. The temptation is always to cut them too soon, but if you do, they’ll completely fall apart and you’ll be left with a big brownie mess. Give it patience. The chocolate chips need a chance to solidify again.

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 12 oz packages semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli 60% Cacao)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine.

In a large saucepan melt the butter with the sugar and water. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in one package of the chocolate chips and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly blend in the flour mixture, and then add the remaining package of chocolate chips and the chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 9″x13″ pan ***stop at this point if you are making the cookie brownies*** and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake, and make sure that your toothpick is coated with uncooked batter and not melted chocolate chips if you’re going to continue baking longer. Let cool at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: To make a half-batch, halve all amounts, use a greased 9×9? square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from AllRecipes

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon. ***Stop at this point if you’re making the cookie brownies.***

Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, allowing at least 3″ between cookies. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly toasted. Let cool a few minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

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best recipes of 2010

December 29, 2010 by 2 Comments

This has been one hell of an ass-kicking year for Jenny. I’ve watched my little girl grow from innocent baby to toddler with a huge personality. I’ve had the best times with my husband, my #1 pal, traveling, eating and causing mischief together with our daughter. I’ve seen this blog slowly grow from about 2 readers (thanks, Ma!) to well…a lot (thanks, y’all!). And I’ve cooked. Oh how I’ve cooked.

So for my last post of 2010 I leave you with my favorite recipes of the year. They’re all ones that have stuck with me for one reason or another. And I have the hips to prove it.

Before we get to the good stuff, let me say one thing from the bottom of my heart: thank you. You, the person reading this glowing screen, are the reason I continue to write RDG. I started because I had something to say, and I keep trucking because of what you have to say. I’ve found the most incredible community of readers, writers, cooks, moms, and everyone in between thanks to this little corner of the interwebs. Thank you for reading. And please keep the dialogue coming here, on Twitter or on Facebook.

Alright. Before I get all weepy, here are my top 10 recipes of the year, divided into sweets and savories.

Sweets and baked goods:

5. Honey Beer Bread A quick, simple bread made from your favorite ale.

4. Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Bittersweet Ganche The moistest, richest cupcakes you’ll ever try.

3. Greek Yogurt and Honey Pie A summery dessert with delicate flavor, akin to an incredibly light and fluffy cheesecake.

2. Compost Cookies Not my recipe mind you, but it deserved a spot on this list. Moist and chewy cookies dotted with everything but the kitchen sink. I’ve made more batches this year that I care to admit.

1. Double Chocolate Brownies Mom’s tried-and-true recipe. The most popular entry on RDG for good reason!

Savories and main dishes:

5. Sweet Potato and Onion Fries Crisp on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, these fries go with everything from burgers to wintry roasts.

4. Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon Sweet, creamy, rich. Enough said.

3. Crowded Rice Eat your veggies and get your kids to eat them too with this green-packed version of “fried” rice.

2. Gemelli with Turkey Spinach Meatballs What began as a healthier take on Spaghettio’s morphed into a meal that graces our table monthly.

1. Mexican Lasagna Make a double batch and freeze one for a rainy day. This has been my go-to dinner this year.

And a few of my favorite recipes from others that I discovered this year:

Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from All Recipes

Green Chile and Chorizo Breakfast Strata originally from Bon Appetit

Pregnancy Pasta by Tyler Florence (link goes to my post about it—original can be found in his book Dinner at My Place)

Tarragon Pesto and Pear Melts originally from Sunset Magazine

Tres Leches Cake from Ree Drummond

I hope you all had a fantastic 2010 and have an even more memorable 2011. Cheers!

-RDG


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4th of july recipe roundup

July 3, 2010 by 1 Comment

It doesn’t feel much like July around here. Rain is dripping from the plum tree outside my window, the yard is well-watered, and the thermometer reads an oh-so-toasty 50 degrees. Happy 4th!

But for those of you planning shindigs in other, more temperate parts of our lovely country, or even here in the rain, here’s a list of ideas for your menu.

Poblanos Stuffed with Chipotle Mac n Cheese. Spicy, creamy, lovely. Throw your guests one of these instead of the usual brat and they’ll kiss the (sodden) ground that you walk on.

Cuban Pork. Toss it in the Crock Pot and forget about it. You’ve got more important things to do…like drink icy cold beer.

Burg’s Potato Salad, Sort Of. Tater salad is back on our table in a big way thanks to Molly Wizenberg’s recipe.

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Mango Slaw. Sweet corn? Good. Ripe Tomatoes? Good. Creamy avocado? Good. Mango? Good. This slaw? Even better.

Lemon Sour Cream Cups. They’re all dressed up in red, white and blue.

Compost Cookies. It’s the right thing to do.

Double Chocolate Brownies. It’s really the right thing to do.

And for all of those 4th of July leftovers, there’s…

…Throwaway Biscuits. Mix in your leftover sausages, cheese and veggies and you’ve got breakfast.

And some apropos recipes from my favorite blogs:

Strawberry Sheet Cake from Homesick Texan

Mediterranean Roasted Potato Salad from Velveeta Ain’t Food

Ponchatoula Strawberry and Brown Butter Shortcake from Ezra Pound Cake

Braised Short Ribs from Pioneer Woman

Best BBQ Chicken with Simple Barbecue Sauce from The Bitten Word

Have a very happy (safe) weekend! Don’t blow off any fingers. Don’t let your husband blow off any fingers. Eat great food. Drink delicious cocktails. Or mocktails. And wish the Pacific Northwest a few moments of sunshine—it just doesn’t feel like the 4th without it.

-RDG

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memorial day recipe round-up

May 29, 2010 by 5 Comments

I have nothing to say but this: try one of these delish recipes this weekend. Your friends and family will begin to worship you in ways you never thought possible. Coffees will arrive at your doorstep. Pedicures will be booked in your name. Parties will be thrown in your honor. You will get to meet the President.

Probably.

Bacon-wrapped potato bites. Man pleasin’. Party pleasin’. Tummy pleasin’.

Lemon sour cream cups. Cheesecake + sour cream – crust + lemon + cute = a totally fun dessert everyone will spoon right up.

Double chocolate brownies. Just do it. I beg of you.

Sweet potato and onion fries. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Even better in my belly.

Rhubarb shortcakes with lemon ricotta cream. If they serve dessert in heaven, this is it.

Poblanos stuffed with chipotle mac ‘n’ cheese: creamy, spicy mac baked in it’s own individual pepper.

Mini strawberry pies. Because pies are better when they’re individually sized.

And finally, greek yogurt and honey pie. Because you’ve been very, very good this week and you deserve something rich, fluffy and sweet as honey.

Have a delicious, fun and happy holiday weekend!

-RDG

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brownies, as they should be

April 23, 2010 by 37 Comments

This may not come as a surprise to any of you, but I am very particular about my baked goods. Muffins, scones, croissants, cookies—they all have to have that certain je ne sais quoi or else I will throw them out the window. Of a moving car. During rush hour. At some old lady piloting a Cadillac El Dorado. So really, exceptional baked goods are a concern of safety in my world.

Perfect brownies are illusive creatures by nature—it’s difficult to find a recipe that isn’t too cakey or too batter-y. It’s even harder to find a good brownie at a bakery. I find that they either taste like brownie-shaped paste or are just chocolate cake residing under an alias.

Part of my brownie issues stem from the fact that since I was a wee little baker in my mother’s kitchen, my dear Ma has been concocting the world’s best brownies. Or so my own picky palate tells me. I simply can’t eat another brownie because they never measure up to these fudgy (but not pasty), rich (but not batter-y) double-chocolate numbers with rich chocolate chips strewn throughout. They’re my one brownie true love.

To make them, you’ll need the basics: chocolate chips (bittersweet for a richer brownie and semi-sweet for a normal batch), sugar, flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, a titch of water, baking soda and salt.

Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda and stir to combine.

Next, grab a big ol’ saucepan and melt the butter with the sugar and water.

It never ceases to amaze me how the fluorescent lighting over my stove mars every single photo I snap there.

Stir in the chocolate chips until smooth…

…and then add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. Soon it’ll be shmooove and purdy.

Whisk in the flour mixture.

I won’t judge you if you take a little taste.

Do you think there’a a job somewhere in the world where my title could be “Professional Batter Taster?” I’d be really good at it.

Finally, stir in the other half of the chocolate chips. You could also add some nuts if you’re that type o person. I usually add chopped walnuts, but this particular batch was for a party in which I didn’t know if the attendees were nut lovers or not.

Hee hee. I just said “nut lovers.”

At least I amuse myself.

Spread into a greased 9×13 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 325F.

And when they’re done?

Photogenic, and darn tasty, double-chocolate brownies.

The texture of these bad boys is close to perfection: a lightly crisp top layer…

…with rich, dense middles. I try not to cut the squares too big since they are fairly potent (and will inevitably land on your hips). This tactic usually backfires since I therefore eat 6 squares instead of 2. I’m not very good at math.

I adore biting into a chocolate chip now and then—it keeps life interesting.

Do you guys have a brownie recipe that you love? I’d love to hear it! Someone has to de-throne the brownies I’ve been eating since childhood.

Or not. They are my brownie mate. It’s getting serious. And I would never, ever throw them from a moving vehicle.

Happy friday!

-RDG

Double Chocolate Brownies

This recipe is adapted from one printed on a scrap of an old chocolate chip bag in Mom’s kitchen. Possibly 1980′s Nestle? At any rate, neither Mom or I can take the credit for these delicious brownies. Makes one large batch (24 or more brownies) in a 9×13″ pan–see notes below on making a half batch. The temptation is always to cut them too soon, but if you do, they’ll completely fall apart and you’ll be left with a big brownie mess. Give it patience. The chocolate chips need a chance to solidify again.

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 12 oz packages semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli 60% Cacao)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and water. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in one package of the chocolate chips and the vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Slowly blend in the flour mixture, and then add the remaining package of chocolate chips and the chopped nuts. Pour into a greased 9×13″ pan* and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Be careful not to over-bake, and make sure that your toothpick is coated with uncooked batter and not melted chocolate chips if you’re going to continue baking longer. Let cool at least 2 hours before serving.

*To make a half-batch, halve all amounts and use a greased 9×9″ square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

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