better than brownie cookies – and better than that ice cream sandwiches

I have a confession. I love trolling for recipes. Cookbooks, magazines, friends/family, and the ultimate treasure trove of recipes… the internet. I must have hundreds of recipes bookmarked from all over the web… tagged because I knew I had to try them and just waiting, waiting, waiting to be brought out to play in my kitchen.

I ran across this one not too very long ago, courtesy of Patricia over at Technicolor Kitchen. It so happened that I stumbled upon it while I was looking for something fun that I could throw together for a food day we were having at work (we’re always on the lookout for a reason to eat). Cookies with brownie-like qualities? Say no more… I’m in.

The nature of things being what they are, I didn’t get started on these until about 9:15 p.m. the night before I needed them. Shocking, no? Luckily, they were as easy as they promised to be (and oh my gosh, the batter was divine… not that I would eat raw cookie dough) and I was still in bed at a semi-reasonable hour.

The cookies were gone in a flash the next day… thankfully I saved four back for a quick photo shoot. And then, I had the best idea I’ve had all week. I grabbed a big scoop of vanilla ice cream from the freezer and sandwiched it between two of the cookies. Let me tell you… it was a-mazing. Truly.

Better Than Brownie Cookies
(adapted slightly from Patricia’s recipe)
2 2/3 cups (466g) dark chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Melt the chopped chocolate with the butter in a small saucepan over low heat – stir constantly until smooth. Mix eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl. Combine thoroughly. Set aside.

Sift flour and baking powder together in a small bowl.

Add melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and slowly add dry ingredients. When combined, add the cup of chocolate chips and stir.

Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of dough onto prepared sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm on the outside (dough loses its sheen). Leave to cool completely on sheets.

Makes about 24 big cookies