Chocolatey Goodness

Yesterday I made these yummy "double-deckers":

Brownie on the bottom, chocolate-chip cookie on top—what could be bad? It's another winner from Abby Dodge's The Weekend Baker. One nice thing about it is that you don't have to start with softened butter, so it's ideal for one of those days when you're weren't planning to bake until the last minute.

Double-Deckers

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Layer:
12 Tbsp. (6 oz.) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie Layer:
12 Tbsp. (6 oz.) unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process* cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1½ cups granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour

Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13” baking pan.

Start the chocolate-chip cookie layer:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Slide the pan from the heat and add the brown sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Set the butter mix aside to cool while making the brownie layer.

Make the brownie layer:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Slide the pan from the heat and add the cocoa powder. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition, just until blended. Whisk in the vanilla with the second egg. Sprinkle the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly with an offset or rubber spatula. Set aside while you finish the chocolate-chip cookie layer.

Finish the chocolate-chip cookie layer:
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well blended. Once the butter mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla to it and whisk until blended. Pour in the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the cookie dough over the brownie batter in large scoops and spread it evenly with an offset or rubber spatula. Bake until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out with small, gooey clumps of brownie sticking to it, about 40 minutes. Don't over-bake or the brownies won't be fudgy. Transfer the baking pan to a rack to cool completely.

Cut the double-deckers into 2” squares. The cooler the double-deckers are, the cleaner the cutting will be, but these fudgy treats will always leave some sticky crumbs on the knife.

*Yes, it has to be Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa powder. If you use regular cocoa powder, you will have to add some baking soda or baking powder, and I don't know how much. I found Droste brand at Whole Foods.

Comments

[semmens]

Wow! I'm making these today.

And damn you for making me look at yet ANOTHER cookbook.;)

[Florinda]

I made these this past weekend. I've wanted to try them for a few weeks, but didn't get a chance till my day off last Friday. I wanted to bring something to friend's house on Saturday for swimming and a cookout, and the kids left for another week at "Camp Grandma" on Sunday night, so it seemed like the right time. They got rave reviews and I definitely will make them again. I'm a brownie fan, my husband prefers chocolate chip cookies, and the kids love both, so these are a win-win at my house.

[Risottogirl]

That is so cute!

But she could be right. According to some odd polls, vanilla is the scent that most turns men on :)

I like that cookbook and I am SO NOT a baker.