Brookies ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Brookies are chocolate chip cookie brownie bars that are gooey squares of pure chocolate indulgence.

How to Make Brookies

1: Make the chocolate chip cookie dough

The chocolate chip cookie dough layer for these brownie bars is pretty basic. 

1. Cream brown sugar and butter, then add eggs (make sure they're at room temperature!), vanilla and almond extract. Like the almonds, the almond extract is optional. I think it makes the dough a bit more flavorful and interesting, but it's really not essential. If you'd rather leave it out, just add an extra teaspoon of vanilla in its place.
2. Stir in some flour, baking soda, and salt, then add mini-chocolate chips and chopped almonds (if using). You can, of course, use regular size chocolate chips in there. I prefer to use mini-chocolate chips because I like the effect of spreading the chocolate more evenly through the dough. But, seriously. If regular size chocolate chips is all you have, don't let that stop you. You can also just chop up a chocolate bar and toss that in.
3. Scoop the dough into a bowl, cover it, and put it in the refrigerator while you make the brownie layer. You can also make the chocolate chip cookie dough a day or two in advance if you wish.

The almonds in these Brookies are optional.

I generally prefer brownies without nuts. And yet, for some reason, I love the addition of roasted salted almonds in the cookie layer of these brownie bars. The almonds add a crunchy, nutty texture that's a delicious contrast to the soft cookie dough and gooey brownies.

Having said that, if you would like to leave them out, please do. There are no rules here. If you leave them in, I really feel that roasted, salted almonds is the way to go. Roasted almonds have a more concentrated their flavor and the little bit of added salt really helps to balance out all that sweet, chocolaty richness.

If you are salt sensitive, or just don't really like much salt to your sweet, look for almonds labeled "lightly salted". Or, you can make your own. See the note in the recipe about roasting and salting raw almonds.

2. Make the Brownie Batter

The brownie layer for these bars is rich and gooey while also managing to be sturdy enough to hold up a thick layer of chocolate chip cookie dough.

1. Melt some butter and chocolate in a small pan over low heat. It's super important to melt the chocolate over very low heat because it can easily burn. As the chocolate and butter melt, stir it constantly, removing the pan from the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. You can also do this in the microwave: Add the butter and chocolate to a microwave safe bowl and heat it at 50% power for 1 minute at a time, stirring before putting it back in for another minute.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla, then add the melted chocolate.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt and you're done.

3. Top the brownie batter with cookie dough

The most important thing to know here is this: Add the cookie dough on top of the brownie batter by plopping it on there by the spoonful. There is a LOT of chocolate chip cookie dough and the dough will cover the brownie batter completely. But, do not try to "spread" it on.

Spreading it, or dumping all of it in the center of the brownie batter at once and then trying to spread it out, will cause it to sink down into the brownie batter and you won't get the delicious layered effect of a brownie bottom and a cookie top.

Simply grab a spoon and plop spoonfuls of cookie dough across the surface of the brownie batter. Then, bake.

4. Bake the Brookies!

The most important thing to know about baking Brookies is this: There can be quite a bit of variation with the bake time.

Because these bars are so thick, they require quite a long bake time. This means that things like variances in oven temperature, the temperature of the dough when you put the pan in the oven, altitude, and even humidity can have a cumulative effect on how long these cookie bars need to bake through. So, be flexible.

Take a peak at the brownie bars after they've been in the oven for 50 minutes. Here's how you'll know when they're done:

• They will be pulling away from the sides of the pan slightly.
• They will be golden brown on top.
• The center will be mostly set, but still very slightly "jiggly" if you gently shake the pan.

That last point needs some further clarification... I like the center of my chocolate chip cookie brownie bars to be gooey. If you remove the pan from the oven when it's still a bit jiggly, that's what you'll get. If you want your brookies to be well baked all the way through, just let them bake a bit longer.

If you're brownie bars aren't done baking after 50 minutes, let them continue to bake for as long as it takes, checking on them every 5 minutes. If the tops of the bars are getting too brown, simply lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pan.

5. Patience is a virtue: Let the Brookies cool

It's important to let the bars cool inside the pan until they are completely cool, or just slightly warm.

Then, use the sides of the aluminum foil that you used to line the baking dish to lift the entire cake out of the pan. Peel it off and slice the bars into 12 pieces.

At this point, the cookie bars can be eaten as is. OR, my favorite, topped with a scoop of ice cream.

More Popular Chocolate Cookie and Brownie Recipes:

• Chocolate Brownie Loaf Cake
• Sheet Pan Frosted Brownies for a Crowd
• Brownie Pie
• Dark Chocolate Brownies
• Perfectly Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie