Brookies

So, Friday was baking day! With Zayn’s Better playing in the background, I got to thinking. I knew I wanted to make something that was indulgent, but also something that was easy to make, with ingredients I had lying at home.

And the best thing to bake was Brookies! A brookie is essentially a hybrid of a brownie and a cookie, so, basically, the best of both worlds.

You need this recipe in your life because it combines two of the most loved desserts and is the simplest recipe you will ever encounter (I’m not even kidding). It takes barely 10 minutes to make the cookie dough, and only 15 minutes to bake it.

A no-nonsense, non-messy, good ol’ brownie-cookie amalgamation that everybody adores.

Very Important Tips

Making a cookie can sometimes be tricky, if these tips are not followed:

1. REFRIGERATE THE COOKIE DOUGH
   Refrigerating the cookie dough is extremely important for making any cookie. Chilling the dough before kneading, or after done, is crucial to ensure that the cookies don’t spread out while baking. Refrigerating gives them the hardness of a cookie, so if a recipe calls for you to chill the cookie dough, DO NOT SKIP IT.
2. AVOID OVERMIXING THE FLOUR
   Overmixing the flour into the cookie batter will not give you the best cookie results. There are many reasons for this. One is aeration: which doesn’t result in crisp and sturdy cookies. The other is extra gluten development, which results in an unpleasantly chewy cookie.
   Read more about why overmixing is not the way.
3. BAKE THEM ON A PARCHMENT PAPER OR BAKING SHEET
   This is important so that the cookies won’t turn into a sloppy mess and also, won’t stick to the baking tray.
4. LEAVE THEM IN THE OVEN AND LET THEM REST FOR FURTHER ‘BAKING’
   The brookies, like any other cookie, need time to rest in the oven and outside. This is crucial for the brookies to harden up and bake properly. So if they seem undone after being immediately taken out of the oven, pop them back in for 3-5 minutes and let them rest for a while.

Recipe

Ingredients

For 9 brookies (approx.)

– 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
– 1/2 cup powdered sugar
– 1/2 cup of brown sugar (optional)
– 1/4 tsp baking powder
– 1/4 tsp baking soda
– 1/4 cup softened butter
– 1 tsp instant espresso powder (to be mixed with 1 tbsp of water)
– 2-3 tbsp of milk (use if needed to smoothen out the dough)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 210 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes (temperature and time may vary).
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder & soda. Mix in the powdered sugar and brown sugar (if using).
3. Add the softened butter and espresso solution. You could also use vanilla extract/essence instead (this is simply to enhance the flavour of the chocolate).
4. Add milk, if required, at this stage. Add as much as needed to bind the dough.
5. Once a smooth cookie dough is formed, transfer it to a small, clean bowl, cover it with cling-film, and refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
6. Once chilled, form small golf ball-sized cookie dough balls, and place them on the baking sheet or parchment, a few inches apart from one another, since the cookies tend to spread while baking.
7. Put them in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (temperature may vary from oven to oven).
8. Once baked, leave them in the oven for 3-5 minutes and let them rest, after taking them out, for 5-10 minutes (go to Very Important Tips).
9. And now, sit back & enjoy your delicious Brookies! You could also get fancy, and add extra toppings like chocolate chips, sprinkles, sea salt, caramel, marshmallows, and more!

And now, to end our baking journey, here’s a beautiful glimpse of this absolutely divine cookie –