Chocolate Chip Streusel Brownies
I can be indecisive about dessert, but the one thing that’s consistent is chocolate. Any form is fine—cake, pie, pudding—I will take it all. Of course, not all at once, but I figured out a way to get two different desserts into one bite. With a fudgy base and cookie crumbles dotting the top, chocolate chip streusel brownies ticked multiple boxes in a single baked treat. They even resulted in cookie leftovers, a major bonus.
The recipe involved making brownie batter and spreading it into the pan per usual. The cookie dough was standard, too. I wanted to see brownie peaking through the bars, so I only sprinkled about half the dough on top. (I made chocolate chip cookies with the leftovers.) These cookie-topped brownies were a big hit when I brought them to a friend’s house. I think it’s because they were double the dessert.
Chocolate Chip Streusel Brownies
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living June 2017
Makes 24 squares
For cookie dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for pan
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
For brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 13-inch by 9-inch pan with butter, line with parchment paper and grease again with butter. Start by making the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. On low speed, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
For the brownies, place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water. Stir occasionally as the chocolate and butter melt. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in the eggs one at a time and fold in the flour and salt.
Spread the brownie batter in an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle about half the cookie dough crumbles across the top. (Reserve the remaining dough to bake cookies.) Cover the pan with parchment-lined foil and bake for 20 minutes, until just set. Bake an additional 27-30 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 24 squares to serve.
For the leftover cookie dough, bake scant 1/4-cup-sized balls at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes.
