Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

Sundays are meant for classy things.

Classy like...drinking a beer at the rooftop bar of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Pinky up.  Obviously.

Classy like...strolling around Central Park with your boyfriend.  And by strolling I mean doing everything within your power to restrain yourself from dragging him to the running path, saying "Tag, you're it!".  And breaking out into a sprint.

Blue sundress, be damned.

(No, but seriously. It's been almost 14 days and you are dreaming about running.  Vividly.  You can't be held responsible for your actions at this point.  You're probably going to challenge your boss to a race around the lab today.  If we're being honest.)   



Fridays, though?

Fridays are for all-out no-holds-barred ridunkulousness.

They're for brownies topped with cookie dough topped with chocolate glaze with a side of ice cream.



There ain't nothing more perfect than that.



Sometimes being a food blogger has it's perks.

Like when you get sent The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook and 8 pints of Häagen-Dazs® Caramel Cone ice cream.  All in one week.

Really.  My skinny jeans didn't stand a chance.

The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook, written and photographed by Love and Olive Oil's Lindsay Landis is a revelation if you, like me, kinda sorta like cookie dough even more than actual cookies.  Each recipe in this book contains egg-free (and therefore safe-to-eat!) cookie dough in an over-the-top-delicious way.  I can't even begin to tell you how quickly these brownies disappeared from my counter.  Mostly because it's vaguely embarrassing.  If you're a cookie dough lover, than you NEED this cookbook.  Like...yesterday.

And then there's the Häagen-Dazs®.  We never have ice cream in our freezer (because even if we buy it, it tends to get ingested within....minutes) but on the rare occasion that we do, it's almost always Häagen-Dazs®.  I had never tasted the caramel cone flavor before, but it did not disappoint.  Rich caramel flavored ice cream with caramel swirls and dotted with chocolate-covered waffle cone.  It really doesn't get better than that.

The two of them together?  There is no more perfect way to kick off the weekend.  I pinky swear it.

 As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend and coupons for free Häagen-Dazs® ice cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Makes 16 brownies, adapted from The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook

Ingredients
For the brownies:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

For cookie dough:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp almond milk or regular milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips

For chocolate glaze:

• 3 1/2 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on two sides.
2. For the brownies, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In a double boiler or a heatproof pan set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together.  Stir until smooth and remove from heat.  Whisk in the brown sugar until it is dissolved and the mixture has cooled slightly.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.  Using a large rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just incorporated.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. For the cookie dough, beat together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add in the milk and vanilla, mixing until incorporated.  Add the flour and salt and stir until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Gently spread the dough onto the cooled brownies, smoothing the top into an even layer. Refrigerate while the glaze is prepared.
4. For the glaze, melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over low heat.  Stir until smooth.  Pour over the cookie dough and carefully spread into a thin, even layer.  Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.