Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

       I first discovered this recipe a little over a year ago while two of my aunts and a couple of my cousins were visiting for Easter. As the rest of my family was playing games at the dining room table, I was busy in the kitchen making these cookies. They thought I was making simple cookies for a late night snack--boy were they wrong. When I brought these out of the oven and to the table, everybody was initally amazed and excited over the sheer size of the cookies, then they each took a bite and nearly died of suprise and delight over the discovery of a brownie tucked inside the chocolate chip cookie. Delicious. Since then, both friends and family have repeatedly asked me to make these cookies for special occasions--sometimes the special occasion simply being eating these cookies. The picture from where I found this recipe shows really flat cookies, but whenever I make them they always turn out like the above picture. I don't mind, though. I love being able to bite into a large brownie chunk instead of a skinny one.

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe from Picky Palate

Ingredients

• 1 brownie mix + the called for ingredients
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions
--Prepare your favorite brownie mix according to the package directions and let completely cool. Then cut into 16 equal sized bars. (It's best to do this ahead of time so you don't have to wait so long.)

--After the brownies are cooled and cut, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

--Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside for later.

--For the cookies, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside for later.

--Combine the butter and sugars in another bowl and beat them until nice and fluffy.

--Add the eggs and vanilla and stir thoroughly. Then gradually add the flour mixture.

--Add the chocolate chips.

--To make the cookies, use a cookie scoop to make two dough-balls. Take one of those balls and stick a brownie on top of it, then top the brownie with the other dough-ball. Push the cookie dough around the brownie, pinching the seams together.

--Place 6 cookies on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-22 minutes. Don't bake them too long, they taste better as chewy cookies compared to crunchy cookies.

--Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool almost completely before removing them from the cookie sheet.

--Share and enjoy =)

Note: When I make these I don't refrigerate the cookie dough before I make the stuffed cookies and I think that's why whenever I make them they turn out poofy, like the above picture, and not a flatter, Saturn-like cookie. 


Happy Baking!
--H