Tuesday, May 26, 2009

TWD: Chipster-Topped Brownies



Wow, I almost forgot today is Tues, not Monday! Posting 'late' for me--though it's still morning here in CT, usually I have this thing done the night before, ready to post at midnight...talk about a flashback to getting a paper done the day it's due!

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie baking recipe was chosen by Beth of Supplicious --Chipster-Topped Brownies....Reading this recipe I knew it was a recipe I would have tried anyway as it combines two of my very (VERY) favorite baked items--brownies and chocolate chip bar cookies...it has a brownie bottom and, as the name suggests, chocolate chip cookie dough on top!

The recipe came together rather easily, and I must add I am proud of myself that I even included the walnuts in the brownie batter, as called for (as for me, walnuts are not necessary...I love my brownies pure and simple and un-cluttered). I told myself "If I have them, I'll use them...I'm not going to buy them just for this"....I must say I love my pantry now that I am involved in our TWD club--it means that now I have a constant stash of chocolate (though never the kind I need--I still had to go out and get unsweetened) and a decent stash of various nut products---some unopened, others half-gone, stored in various zip lock bags. I found pecans...almonds (slivered almonds as well as sliced..) peanuts, and I found a bag of 'finely' chopped walnuts. The recipe called for 'roughly chopped' (or something similar) I believe--but I LOVE that I had the finer diced version as it meant the walnuts would not be dominating the bites of brownie.

It's basically making 2 recipes--as you have to make the brownie batter, then start over and make the chocolate chip cookie dough. (Note to self: buy extra bowl for KitchenAid mixer so I have a spare to use straight away rather than washing/drying/etc and then starting over...)

I was so tempted to stop when I saw the brownie batter in the pan...I do so love brownies! Here is the cookie dough plopped on top (I almost left like this thinking it would just melt evenly in the oven..but I didn't want to chance it, so got out the offset spatula and did as told):




The glitches I had here came with the baking time...I baked it just about 50 min and found I had a fabulous looking outer crust--nice and golden. But....the knife test came out smeared in cookie dough (and some brownie...unless it was melted chocolate chips?)

So I threw foil over the top and baked another 5 minutes--still had the issue...baked 5 more and then worried that the brownies would be terribly overdone, so I bailed and took it out, as I knew the majority of the pan was done, it was just that middle that seemed to keep it's gooey texture.

I love the new 'trick' I learned (not new at all to veteran bakers, but to me it's a godsend). The last time I baked brownies--the.best.ever--I discovered the parchment paper liner technique allowing you to lift them out easily (especially for a 'corner' lover like myself! When you cut them in the pan -vs-lifting out on handy parchment and cutting out of the pan, many times the corners won't really come undone all the way and get left behind. But with parchment--it all stays intact!

Here is what I mean...look at that tasty corner, just waiting for me! Parchment paper rules.


After it cooled to room temp I cut them all up--and found the very middle had a 'middle earth' area that was still undone. The top was great, the bottom part of the brownie was great, but the top half of the brownie and the bottom half of the cookie dough was still unset! ??? I just did away with those few pieces and had plenty to go around!

Here are the throw-away pieces from the very center of the pan.

You can see the divot in the middle that I made when I was testing for doneness...


And here is a close-up of a still unfinished dough:


So Dear Husband came around, asking how everything was going and I summed it up with the following: "two worlds are colliding in here....brownies and pan cookies....either it will be a match made in heaven, or utter chaos" Would you like to hear his reply? "That's what your brother said when we started dating.." (Background=Dear Husband and I have only been together for 6yrs--married for 3, but he and my brother have been the closest of friends since grammar school. So for us to get together was definitely a Seinfeld moment where my brother's "family" and "friends" worlds were all of a sudden colliding before his eyes)

Dear Husband and I share a love for brownies and bar cookies....love, love them. With that said, we did not LOVE this recipe. I liked it a lot, I find myself nibbling on them throughout the day and going back for more, but I keep thinking "these would have been great brownies" or "I should make bar cookies."

So unlike the success of Dear Husband and I combining into a better 'one', for me, when it comes to brownies and pan cookies, they each operate better as a solo gig and never the twain shall meet. For me, neither really 'shines' and they cancel each other out. They're good and all, but I think my expectations were set a bit high...

14 comments:

Cathy said...

I didn't love these either! I mean, here I am loving MANGO BREAD and not loving a brownie/CCC hybrid? Might be sign of the apocalypse. I'm really glad that the merger of you and hubs has worked out better. I love the parchment trick - need to try that next time. And I had major unbaked sections too - you'd think this would get easier doing it every week, but it just doesn't seem to. Hope you guys had a good weekend - and wish I could be there next weekend!

Flourchild said...

Ya I agree love does not come to mind when you think of these brownies. It was a bummer cus when I was putting them together I was thinking man these are going to be good. That cookie dough topping just was like a brown crusty brownie topping..too bad...
Anyways your browines look good!!

Kara said...

I love your story - it made me laugh out loud. But yeah, I'm with you on the whole not loving these together thing. Give me one or the other. I'm also totally with you on the parchment paper thing. I used to sort of pooh-pooh that as a nuisance step; now I know better. Totally worth the time to cut out some parchment paper to help with the whole removal thing!

Jennifer said...

I love the parchment paper thing too, and I wish they sold pre-cut pieces perfect for slipping into 9 x 13 pans! (I'm just not so good at the measuring and fitting it in smoothly I guess.)

I agree, these were good, not great. And I love chocolate and nuts, brownies and cookies, so I'm not quite sure what the issue was.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Aww, so cute about your and hubs. I've found that all of Dorie's hybrids seem to cancel each other. Guess I'm we're purists?

steph- whisk/spoon said...

parchment paper is good stuff! your brownies look great, but i agree that plain is better!

Anonymous said...

Your Seinfeld moment is really funny!
Your brownies look terrific! Instead of a divot in the middle of the pan, I had multiple knife slits all over the place...

Lillian said...

Yeah, I wasn't as blown away as I expected to be either. Yours look better than mine, though!

chocolatechic said...

Beautiful.

Mine...still goo.

Anonymous said...

Your brownies look wonderful. I think I prefer my cookies and brownies separate like you.

Leslie said...

I totally agree, brownies and cookies are each so amazing that they deserve to shine on their own and not be set up on some blind date that disappoints.

Pamela said...

First of all, Parchment Paper does totally RULE!! I liked these very much and I would make them again for a crowd. But they are too dangerous for me to make just for us. I think the gooey ones look pretty darn tempting!

Jessica said...

I love the story of you and your husband. I'm sorry that these brownies weren't a hit for you.

TeaLady said...

Not my favorite. Brownie or cookie. And ditto on the undone. But they were tasty.

and yours look good.