Brownie Cookies...yes please.

1/2 with nuts, and 1/2 without

Back in the day when you couldn't print recipes from the internet I used to copy recipes down into journals...word for word. Dang that was time consuming. I think I almost copied and entire Ina Garten cook book one time! I also used to cut recipes from newspapers and magazines and tape them into my recipe journals. I recently came across an old journal and that is where I found this recipe. It is from a newspaper...not sure which one, or how long ago it was printed. It is a winner in my book, and is currently being transferred into a new recipe journal of honor...where I put only the best of the best recipes.

I have always wanted to be one of those rainbow and butterflies kind of people. Whenever I try it just seems so fake and unnatural, so instead I am one of those sarcastic glass 1/2 empty and yet 1/2 full kind of person. Instead of bringing sunshine and marshmallows into people's lives I tend to bring them cookies. So I guess you could say I am a glass empty kind of girl with cookie crumbs on the bottom. Darn this cookie, and darn the cookie who sent the cookie. Yeah, it is that good folks. You know when you have those awful days and you get home and all you want is hot brownies topped with vanilla ice cream? Wait, am I the only one who has days like that? I knew I had issues, sadly this one is incurable. Well, I often crave brownies...the problem with brownies is 1) they take too long to bake, and 2) you have to make a whole pan and ultimately eat a whole pan. Ta da, here enters the BROWNIE COOKIE!!! You can make them wicked fast, and then you only have to bake off how ever many you want to bake! Then freeze the rest of the batter for emergency days! Thank you Sweet Baby Jesus.

Brownie Cookies
(2 dozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 12 oz of chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave on 50% power. Set aside and cool for a few minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients. I used a combination of semi sweet and dark chocolate chips, just use whatever kind you have on hand.

Mix in large bowl with beaters the following for 3-4 minutes:

4 TBS unsalted softened butter
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar

(Please note, at this point the mixture was broken and didn't come together, but once I added the rest of the ingredients it was fine)

Add the cooled chocolate and 2 tsp of vanilla to the butter/egg/sugar mixture and mix until smooth and combined.

Sift together the following and add to the above and mix until smooth, scrape, and mix again:

1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (optional) (you can toast them beforehand if you like for an added bonus of flavor)

Batter will be thin like brownie batter usually is. Let the batter sit for a few minutes and it will thicken up. Scoop out onto parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes until puffed and cracked on top. Do not over bake. If you don't want to bake them all scoop them onto parchment and freeze for a later time.