Brooksters

Think- thick chocolate chip cookies, wrapped in a devilishly tight hug of decadent, dark brownies. Yes, beware - this hand-held treat may just blow your mind!



Don't skimp on the chilling step of the dough and batter - they both need to be cold to give you even baking results. Also, if you only have 1 baking pan and want to keep the yield as-is, follow the recipe, yet keep the leftover brownie batter in the bowl and in the fridge. Allow the baked Brooksters to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove them and wash the pan to both clean it and cool it down. Then fill with brownie batter and the cookie dough - as long as you've kept the leftovers in the fridge while you bake, you can just fill and bake.

You can end up with two results - if you slightly under-bake these, you'll have a slightly gooey core with a dangerously fudgy brownie barrier holding it all together. Fork worthy, for sure. With a few extra minutes tacked on the total bake time, the two will have married together into an irresistible portable package that can be taken behind closed doors and enjoyed alone. What?...Like you've never done that? If you're feeling especially naughty, warm one up slightly, then drop a rounded scoop of your favorite ice cream dead center on it....OMGOSH!! 

Brooksters
 
For the cookie dough

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

For the brownie batter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (look for a range in the 60 to 70%), coarsely chopped
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks or 1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

To prepare the cookie dough

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Mix in vanilla.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks. Cover bowl and set in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.

To prepare brownie batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powders and salt.

Melt chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter together in in the bowl of a double boiler set over medium heat, stirring frequently. When melted and smooth, turn the heat off (but leave the bowl set over the steaming water) and whisk in granulated and brown sugars. When combined, remove bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Scatter flour mixture over the top and gently fold the two together - do not over mix at this point. It is okay if a little of the flour mixture remains visible.
 

Butter or spray with nonstick spray each well of your muffin tins, then fill each with brownie batter until they are just shy of halfway full. Cover the pans and place into the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Scoop out cookie dough using a generous tablespoon cookie scoop and roll each into a ball. Remove one muffin tin containing the chilled brownie batter from the refrigerator and gently press one cookie dough ball into each well.

Place pan into the oven and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the cookie part is very golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Around 20 minutes gave me slightly gooey centers, while at 25 minutes, they were just baked through.
 

Makes about 24 Brooksters, with some leftover cookie dough. 

My niece Cierra, enjoying a Brookster on our ski holiday!

* I have made a similar recipe to this a few years ago. It is slightly different as I used the Extreme Chocolate chip cookie dough.  Both are delicious, just slightly different -The Brookster recipe  -2015

 Annual Family Ski/Snowmobile trip-

This year 2017 Sun Valley!  

Our budding artists-Made up some colored water and put into a squeeze bottles for the kiddo's! They are clearing snow and creating masterpieces! Cooper, Julia and Jacob

Hot cocoa I made with snowmen marshmallows for the grandkids! Julia, Jacob and Cooper!

 Wee Bear and JJ!