Brookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Have you heard of brookies? People in general love to make new words out of 2 existing words and Brookies are a delicious combination of 2 of the most popular munchies known to mankind: Brownies+Cookies=Brookies.. Now that's an equation nobody will forget. These brookies in particular are absolutely divine! Crunchy yet chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie on top of a layer of Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownie, all this topped with Nutella and drizzled with Dulce de leche- A mat(c)h made in heaven.. Read that sentence again, and tell me you are not drooling.. I dare you!

This is our Fondbites bake-along group's 119th recipe! The original recipe uses chocolate ganache as the frosting, drizzled with caramel sauce but I was having a busy day and hence the shortcut replacements. I am sure it tastes even better with the ganache, so do try with that if you have time. I am having repeat requests for these brookies already, so hopefully I will be able to make it as per the original recipe soon.

Once you bake and frost the brookie, make sure you chill it well. That way, the nutella would have set and also, you will be able to get perfect slices when you cut it. As I already mentioned I didn't have enough time the day I baked these, so you can see my slices are neither neat nor perfect. So if you have time, do chill it for atleast 1-2 hours before slicing. But serve at room temperature :)

I have made a few changes to the original recipe, mostly substitutes for the ingredients but feel free to use whatever suits your taste buds or whatever is available with you at the time. I am also linking recipes that have worked for me to make Dulce de leche and Caramel Sauce. You can use anything you prefer. No matter what, I assure you that this bake will fetch you the maximum amount of compliments. So go ahead and get everything ready as we dive into the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie 

Recipe adapted from- Fondbites

Things you will need :

For the Brownie:

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (100g)

Castor Sugar - 1 Cup

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/4 Tsp

Vanilla Extract - 1 Tsp

Eggs - 2

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 Cup

For the Cookie:

Unsalted Butter- 1/2 Cup (100g)

Castor Sugar -1/4 Cup

Light Brown Sugar- 1/4 Cup

Dark Brown Sugar- 1/4 Cup

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 Cup 

Whole Wheat flour - 1/4 Cup

Powdered Almond /Almond flour - 1/4 Cup

A pinch of salt 

Fresh Cream - 2 Tblsp

Vanilla extract - 1 Tsp

Nutella for spreading- quantity totally upto your preference ;) 

Dulce de Leche or Caramel Sauce for drizzling

Method:

Preheat oven to 180*C

Butter and line with butter paper, an 8" square pan or I have used a 11"x7" Rectangular pan. Let the butter paper hang from the sides, so that it's easier to lift the brownie after baking.

Brownie

• Add the Sugar and Butter in a large bowl and combine together using a wire whisk. 
• Add cocoa powder and whisk until it's incorporated.
• Add the eggs & vanilla extract and whisk until everything is combined well.
• Add the flour & salt. Fold it in using a rubber spatula, only until all the flour disappears into the batter. I know the temptation is irresistible to overmix, but do not- for a fudgy Brownie it's best to fiddle as little as possible with the batter.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pop the pan into the freezer until you make the cookie dough.

Chocolate Chip Cookie 

• Add the butter and all the sugars into the bowl of your stand mixer or into a large bowl, if using an electric beater. 
• Beat on medium - high speed for about 3-4 mins until the mixture becomes creamy, pale and fluffy.

• Add cream & vanilla extract and beat just until incorporated.
• Add both the flours and powdered almonds and beat just until incorporated. Do not over mix.
• Add the chocolate chips and fold it in using a rubber spatula.
• Take the pan out of the freezer and spread the cookie dough evenly on top of the Brownie layer. Smooth it out gently.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 mins until the cookie layer is golden brown and a knife inserted in the centre comes out relatively clean. ( The cookie layer may look underdone in spite of the color but don't overbake it, it will set on cooling) 
• cool the pan on a wire rack. When completely cool, spread the Nutella on top of the cookie and smooth it out.
• Pipe or drizzle the dulce de leche or caramel sauce on top of the nutella.
• Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Take it out of the pan and slice into even pieces.

Let it come to room temperature before serving. 

Enjoy as it is or even better, with a dollop of ice cream! 

Until next time, Happy Baking!!!

This has been baked for Fondbites Bake Along, a group of enthusiastic bakers who bake one recipe every week.

Earl Grey Tea Madeleines

I just visited my blog today and was shocked to see that my last post was in September last year. How sad is that!! Ok, by now I think I have established the fact that I am lazy. I do love writing but I just don't get into that mindset that easily I suppose. Anyway, no point mulling over this issue. Let's get down to business..

I have been fascinated with Madeleines from the time I heard its name. Isn't it a lovely name? I feel like repeating it. Madeleine.. Madeleine.. Madeleine.. Ok, I haven't gone crazy (for now atleast). I made my hubby buy a Madeleine pan (madeleine..) from abroad a few months back. Yes, a few months back, and I finally tried out a recipe only a few days back. It turned out so yumm. Although, I am not sure if this is the right texture or taste or feel of the cake because I have never ever tasted or even seen a madeleine before. So I am assuming I did everything right and it came out good. Hey! Works for me.. I made these for a dear friend and she enjoyed them too. So I have an approval in the bag already :)

For those who don't know, Madeleines are small French tea cakes (some call them cookies although they taste more like cake to me) that are crisp when hot out of the oven but becomes more cake like as it cools down. They are traditionally baked in small shell shaped pans which give them these lovely shapes at the bottom and the top does rise and form a hump- which is due to the long chill we give the batter before baking. Although my cakes look like they are burnt, they didnt taste so. I am not sure if taking them out of the oven 1 or 2 min earlier could have helped the color but The flavor was really good, so no complaints there

I have followed Dorie Greenspan's recipe to the T. But i did add a tinge of pink food gel, just to give it a lovely color. These are Earl Grey Tea flavored cakes and taste so divine. The tea is steeped in melted butter, strained and this butter is used to give the flavor to the cakes. How cool is that? (maybe you all are familiar with flavored butters already but for me this was a major wow moment) Dorie says, these cakes are best eaten the day they are made but you can store them in airtight boxes if need be. I had them for 3 days and it didn't spoil the taste or texture. On to the recipe then..

Earl Grey Tea Madeleines

Recipe credits- Dorie Greenspan

Things you will need:

Unsalted butter - 5 Tablespoons
Earl Grey Tea Leaves - 2 Tablespoons (I used 3 tea bags)
All Purpose Flour - 3/4 Cup
Baking Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Sugar       - 1/3 Cup
Eggs (room temp) - 2
Honey     - 2 Tablespoons
Vanilla Extract - 2 Teaspoons
A pinch of salt
Grated Zest of 1 small Lemon

To Flavor the Butter-

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven and stir in the tea (I tore up the tea bags and dumped the tea dust/leaves in). Allow to infuse for 15 minutes. Line a small sieve with a double layer of damp cheesecloth or a fine/soft clean handkerchief and strain the butter into a bowl. Discard the tea,

For the Madeleines-

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In the mixer bowl, put the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until its fragnant- for about a min or 2.
Add the eggs to this and using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand-held beater, beat the mixture for 2-3 mins, until its pale and thick.
Add the Honey and Vanilla Extract and beat for 1 more min.
Stop the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients into the mixture.
When they are incorporated fully, add the melted-flavored butter and fold it in. This will take some time to get incorporated, but try to fold it in, in as few turns as possible.
Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or overnight.
After the time period, take it out and spoon the batter into the prepared madeleine pans. You can even fill a piping bag and fill the pans for accuracy.
Bake for 12-14 mins in a pre-heated oven at 200*C or until the madeleines are golden and spring back when touched.
Remove the pan from the oven and tap the madeleines out gently onto a cooling rack.
Enjoy while still warm with a hot cup of tea.

Hope you will try it out and enjoy as much as I did. Quick, eat this last one before the minion grabs it :D

Until next time (hopefully sooner) Happy Baking...