Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies {Recipe}

When it comes to baking for myself or my own family, it's all in good fun. As long as it includes chocolate and tastes decent at the end, I'm happy.

However, when we're talking about baking and the fact that there are going to be other people eating my creation? Well, that's just a whole different situation entirely. As much as I love classic chocolate chip cookies or the ever-satisfying flavor of brownies, I find that I can't rest knowing that I'm bringing something quite so... normal to a potluck or gathering.

But considering that I (and most people) love those traditional desserts, what's a girl to do to make them a little more unique?

The answer came to me in the form of mass deliciousness when I stumbled upon RecipeGirl.com and her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies. With my next get-together only days away, I knew that I had found my winner.

Even though these took longer to make than a single dessert, by combining the two together, the results are out-of-this-world amazing. Each bite has the addictive yumminess of chocolate chip cookie dough (except without eggs, so no worry about eating it!) and the luscious chocolatey moistness of brownies.

I brought half of the pan to my event, where they received rave reviews, and made my husband take the other half to work with him to keep me from eating every last morsel. He returned home that night and, in a shocked tone, reported, "They were gone instantly!"

There are no other words besides brownie + cookie dough = love.

Brownie Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
For a more chocolatey brownie, ½ cup mini or regular chocolate chips to add to the batter

Cookie Dough Ingredients

¾ cup butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups mini chocolate chips
½ cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

Brownie Directions

Preheat oven to 325° and spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk those in too. Mix in melted chocolate. Whisk in the flour and mix just until combined. Add in optional chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cookie Dough Directions

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla and then mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownies and refrigerate until the dough is quite firm (it's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer, too).

If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt ½ cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

I ran out of chocolate chips and was in too much of a hurry to add the shortening and take the time to make my drizzle pretty, but let me tell you that it didn't matter one bit.

Once you've made these, you'll be hooked!