This week’s TWD was chosen by Beth of Supplicious: chipster-topped brownies! The idea behind the recipe is to top brownies with a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough – yum! I’ve actually had my eye on this recipe for a while as it combines two delicious treats. Also, it reminds me of Ben & Jerry’s Half-Baked ice cream, which Shane and I both really enjoy!
I struggled a bit with whether to halve the recipe or make the whole thing. This recipe involves A LOT of butter and chocolate but I figured I’d just send them to work with Shane so all that temptation wouldn’t be sitting around the house. I subbed peanut butter chips for chocolate chips in the cookie dough because I’m a bit of a sucker for chocolate and peanut butter together. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written.
I ran into a few problems as I made the chipster-topped brownies. I dolloped the cookie dough batter on top of the brownie batter with my cookie dough scoop but before I could even begin to spread it, it started to sink into the brownie batter. I panicked, quickly dropped the rest of the cookie dough batter on the brownies and tried to spread the cookie dough that hadn’t yet sunk into the brownie batter. All I succeeded in doing, however, was swirling the cookie dough batter with the brownie batter. Clearly there would be no pretty layer of cookie dough on top of my brownies. I also had trouble getting these cookie topped brownies out of the pan. I ran a knife around the edge and inverted with no luck. I wound up having to chisel the brownies out of the pan. Turns out the edges were a bit overcooked but the middle seemed perfectly baked.
The verdict? My chipster-topped brownies tasted like peanut butter brownies. I didn’t have the cookie dough layer on top and I didn’t think the brownies had a distinct cookie flavor. They were good, but I don’t think I’d make them again. It would be much easier to just make brownies and mix in some peanut butter chips! Thanks to Beth for letting me finally try this recipe! You can find the recipe on her blog. You can also see the other chipster-topped brownies by visiting the TWD blogroll – I promise some of the other bakers actually have distinct brownie/cookie layers!
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I’m a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate too! Even without the layered effect, your brownies do look super moist and delicious!! Although I can see why it might not be worth the extra effort (and bowl cleaning) this way.
I agree that the cookie layer was overpowered by the chocolate. The PB chips sound yummy!
This all looks divine… and silly me, I was just too speedy to even read that one could add peanut butter, must be super yummy!
Very, very well done, Tracey!
i just saw these on another site… yum, the photos look fantastic
I’m sorry that they didn’t meet your expectations. For what it’s worth, they look amazing and I love the way the cookie dough is swirled through the brownie batter.
I think your method actually resulted in a better finished product! Overcooking seems to have solved the uncooked middle/oozing cookie layer that a lot of us experienced. But I’m with you, glad I made them but probably won’t attempt again.
oh peanut butter, brownies , cookies. what could be better. I m sorry you had problems with this recipe. It looks delicious though
i think brownies with a swirl of peanut butter sounds devine 🙂
I’m with you – not what I was hoping for, but I can’t really complain about chocolate chips and brownies!
I liked this recipe, but I didn’t love it. Though I feel like if I had made them with peanut butter chips I might be singing a different tune 🙂 From your pictures you can’t tell anything went wrong. They still look delicious!
YOur brownies looks great. I like the cookie dough all swirled like that. I was actually thinking about doing that on purpose.
I dunno, pb brownies sound pretty fabulous… I’m sure they were enjoyed!
Sorry to hear about your small issue with this recipe. I have to tell you your creation looks just awesome, absolutely delicious, with flavors that are favorites in my household!
They look and sound fantastic, no matter how you got them that way. It would be easier to make brownies with peanut butter chips for the same effect, though. A dessert with this much butter definitely needs to be sent out of the house ASAP.
I am excited for your pick next week, the cinnamon squares sound delicious!
Aww – too bad you weren’t crazy about them, they look superb!
Well, whatever you did or didn’t do, they look amazingly wonderful and my boys would have devoured those out of the pan with the peanut butter in them. Thanks for not picking chocolate next week…tee hee! It’s our anniversary on Tuesday, so we can have this as our anniversary dessert! Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors!
I love peanut butter and chocolate too (Reese’s peanut butter cups!)!
I love the way your brownies turned out – it’s the first thing I noticed, the pretty swirl on top.
I love the swirled look you got on top of the brownie! I had a little bit of cookie sink into the brownie portion, too. It was still good though. Nice job and nice of you to share.
It’s such a good concept, you know? But the execution is just slightly off. At least they taste good 🙂
Peanut butter brownies? That can’t be a bad thing. Sorry these weren’t exactly what you were expecting when you set out, but it sounds like they were really good anyway. I botched mine and probably won’t make them again, but I love the idea in theory!
Ditto!! To everything. But they look tasty.
i like the PB addition, peanut butter brownies still sound good even if that’s not what you were hoping for. 🙂
Mmmm… pb and chocolate! I’ll have to try them this way! 🙂
i think the swirl looks great, even though it wasn’t intentional! 🙂
I’m a little slow on catching up on posts I want to read, but I love the swirl look you’ve got here, even if you had not intended it. These weren’t my favorite either. I’d rather have a cookie and a brownie, but it was fun to try them. For a no-stick problem, I ALWAYS line by baking sheets with foil (the non-stick kind is even better). They always just lift right out of the pan! It’s never failed me and it has never “ruined” a recipe.
Okay, when I wrote my commment about you NOT picking chocolate this week, I had not seen/read the Cinnamon Squares recipe…however, I have since done so, and made them, and while I don’t like chocolate, they were a big hit with the guys here, so they thank you! See you this week on the comment section for TWD. They were fun to make actually!