Brownies for Dorie

Happy New Year! A friend of mine threw a holiday party the other night, so I decided to put together some brownies to bring along. Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for “Chipster-Topped Brownies” looked pretty tempting. The idea behind these brownies is that they are brownies topped with chocolate chip cookies. I didn’t think they quite turned out that way, the cookie top wasn’t really distinct from the brownie base. That said they were absolutely delicious. They take a little bit of work to make because you really have to make two separate batters, but I didn’t think it was too bad. Overall these were definitely a crowd pleaser, and made a nice, very chocolaty brownie.

Chipster Topped Brownies

Makes a 9x13 pan

For the Brownie Layer

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up into chunks 

1 2/3 cups sugar 

4 large eggs 

½ tsp salt 

½ tsp vanilla 

1 cup AP-flour 

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (I used pecans, because they’re what I had)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 cake pan, line it with parchment paper, and butter the paper.

2. Over a double boiler melt together the two chocolates and the butter, stirring just until smooth. Remove from heat.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until thick and pale. Beat in the salt and vanilla.

4. Reduce speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate until just incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on slow add the flour and mix until just incorporated.

5. Fold in the walnuts. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, and level with a spatula.

 

For Cookie Layer

1 ¼ cup flour 

½ tsp baking soda 

½ tsp salt 

¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened 

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup white sugar 

1 large egg 

1 large egg yolk 

1 tsp vanilla 

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips1. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2. Beat together the butter and the sugars in medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

3. One at a time add the egg, then the egg yolk, beating for a minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

5. Drop the cookie batter on top of the brownie batter by spoonfuls. Using a spatula, gently spread the cookie layer out over the top of the brownie layer.

6. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and a knife tester comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate.

7. Remove the pan from the oven, let cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, invert onto a cutting board, then flip back to right-side up. Cut into bars and serve.