I can say with absolute confidence that this Brownie Cookie Sandwich is the most indulgent cookie I have ever had in my life. And boy am I glad that it came out of my kitchen. Imagine if I had this at a fancy patisserie? They’d never share the recipe with me – that would be tragic!
It tastes like a brownie, in cookie form – PLUS peanut butter frosting!
I don’t bake much because I am more of a savoury person than a sweet person. So most sweet things I make are “fast and easy” type treats.
But this….this is worth every second of effort. It is crazy indulgent and ridiculously scrumptious. The brownie cookie is just like a brownie in both texture and taste. The surface of the cookie has the familiar thin crinkly layer. On the brownie scale of super dense and fudgey through to cakey, this cookie lies somewhere in between. The inside is soft and moist and every so slightly chewy. And it’s really, really chocolatey.
The frosting is delightful. It is so fluffy and creamy with a distinct peanut butter flavour. It is sweet but also has a touch of salt which a key element of the flavouring that makes the frosting so insanely addictive.
So put the brownie cookie and peanut butter frosting together and you have perfection in a cookie.
The idea for this cookie sandwich came from a recipe by Donna Hay (an Australia celebrity cook) but I used a brownie cookie recipe by Jen’s Favorite Cookies and a Peanut Butter Frosting by Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa), from her cookbook “Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over Again“.
The brownie cookie recipe is in US measurements but I was confident it would work using Australia cups and teaspoons (which are slightly different) because this is a “low risk” baking recipe. I guessed right, it worked brilliantly. I’ve made it twice now and both times it came out exactly the same.
The cookies you see in the photos are giant size – they are just a touch larger than the size of my palm (but mind you, I have abnormally small Baby Hands). They are around 3.5″/8.5cm in diameter. I made them gigantic because my irrational logic told me that was a smart move, instead of dealing with the guilt of having two normal sized cookie sandwiches. But if you are a normal person, by all means make them normal size. I’ve provided directions for both below. 🙂
– Nagi
All things Brownies
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Outrageous Nutella Brownies – lives up to their name!
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Gluten Free Brownies – so moist, with a hint of almond flavour
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Brownie Cookie Sandwich with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
Brownie Cookie
- 1 stick / 1/2 cup / 115g unsalted butter , cut into chunks
- 10 oz / 300g dark chocolate chips (or buttons, melts or block chocolate cut into chunks)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup plain flour
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)
- 2.5 oz / 5 tbsp / 70g / 2/3 stick unsalted butter , softened
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (unwhipped pouring cream)
Instructions
Brownie Cookie
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Line two baking trays with parchment / baking paper.
- Pour 1" / 2.5cm of water into a large saucepan or small pot and bring to a simmer over medium low heat.
- Place a bowl over the simmer water and melt the butter and 10oz/300g chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.
- While the chocolate is melting, place the eggs, cocoa powder and sugar in a bowl and beat for 3 minutes on high (using an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment).
- Pour 1/3 of the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and mix well, then pour the remaining melted chocolate in and mix again.
- Add the vanilla, salt and baking powder and mix until combined.
- Add the flour and mix until just combined - do not over mix.
- Fold in 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips. See image below for batter consistency.
- To make large ones like I did, drop 2 tbsp of mixture onto the baking tray, leaving 2"/5cm between each cookie. To make normal sized ones, use 1 tbsp of mixture per cookie. (Note 1)
- Bake large cookies for 15 minutes for very soft or 17 to 20 minutes for firmer cookies. Bake small ones for 10 to 12 minutes for very soft, or 15 minutes for firmer. (Either way it is still moist!)
- Allow to rest on the baking tray for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- Place all ingredients except the cream in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment. Beat for 5 minutes on high, or until creamy. Scrape down the sides as you go. Add the cream then beat for a further 2 minutes, or until the frosting is fluffy.
- This can also be done using a hand held beater but it will take a few minutes longer.
Assemble
- Spread Peanut Butter frosting on a cookie, then sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition assuming you are sensible and make 20 normal size cookie sandwiches.
Nutrition Information:
I don’t have a sweet tooth so won’t be making the cookies. My comment is about your “baby hands”. Next time you feel like belittling your hands think about all of the wonderful food they help you create. So, now you have been berated twice today, get in the naughty corner! LOL
Ha ha ha!! Well, another “small” friend of mine always reminds me that we are “fun size”!! OK, I’m off to the naughty corner now. Taking a few of these cookies with me!! 🙂 Have a great weekend Ann!
NAGI! Wow! I so love this! I really REALLY do…I have been wanting to make a whoopie pie type cookie…but I never wanted to make whoopie pies…this is perfect though. So big too! It’s great to take to a summer bbq as a sweet and indulgent dessert by the fire!
Thanks Mila!! I miss whoopee pies, we don’t have them here in Aus….you just reminded me I need to try making it at home!! 🙂
Nagi… I guess you and are meant to help each other out 🙂 Seriously I have a running list of things I want to blog…and like 5 of them are yours 🙂
Ha!! I’m like that too – I have a Pinterest board with “things I MUST make!” and I hardly ever seem to make a dent in that list! 🙂
You know I’m not a sweets person either, but I have a serious weakness for anything with peanut butter and chocolate! These brownie cookies look phenomenal! I love how the tops of the cookies are so perfectly craggily and the peanut butter filling looks so soft and creamy. I could eat an entire tin!
Thanks so much Kathleen! I really would eat an entire tin if I could….but they are so rich, I can’t! Strange, how I could probably consume an entire wheel or brie but struggle to get through one of these….;)
Nagi! You are killing me here!! I was planning on making chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies for my blog, but these may have to happen first!!!
Oh, please do whoopee pies Bobbi!! We don’t have Whoopie Pies here in Australia and I miss them! I need a recipe!!
How much is 1″2.5cm?
Hi Pat! I’m sorry, a silly typo 🙂 It meant to say: 1″ / 2.5 cm (i.e. 1 inch) 🙂 Updating now, thanks for the question!
Looool! Still laughing my heart out at your mum’s email and now laughing at your description of the cookie size! These definitely look super indulgent and scrumptious! Thanks for sharing Nagi! 🙂
I’m glad you see humour in my mother berating me!! I think my reaction was to roll my eyes….though there was a little part of me that felt like an 8 year old kid again!! 🙂
Gorgeous, Nagi! I’m more of a savory food person too, but I’d make an exception for these beauties. Brownies and peanut butter are a fantastic combo!
Thanks so much Marissa!! You know, chocolate and peanut butter still isn’t huge in Australia. I became obsessed with it when I first visited the states….now I am single handedly on a mission to convert Australians!!
Your pictures are awesome, these look incredible and my sons would go crazy for these!
How about your WIFE??! 😉 Would the Baking Queen approve? Have a great weekend Matt!
Holy indulgence Batman! These look so amazing. The perfect combo of flavors and I think I would, and could, eat two of these. Have a great weekend!
No way! You could NOT eat two of these giant ones, they are insanely rich! Hope you have a weekend too. I have you bookmarked to browse what you’ve been up to lately, I always get weekend cooking ideas from you!
This post just made my day and it’s only 7:14am! I’ve had Ina’s peanut butter frosting so I know how special that is…Thanks for sharing this scrumptious recipe, Nagi!! I can’t wait to indulge!
Awww, thanks Annie! Though I have to say, popping by YOUR blog often makes my mornings, so it’s about time I returned the favour!! 🙂