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!
-
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:
IS it normal for the batter to be more batter like (thick but pourable- if that makes any sense) than cookie dough?
Oh – yes it is! I’m sorry, I should have made that clear in the recipe instructions. 🙂 I will add a photo of the batter on a baking tray so you can see what it looks like. It is slightly thicker than brownie batter that you ordinarily pour into a baking tin. 🙂
I don’t love baking, but I do love eating sweets…however, I have been on a baking kick lately and these look scrumptious! Plus brownies and peanut butter together…serious yumminess!! Pinning!
Thanks so much Michelle!! 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
I just made these! Literally 5 minutes after I saw this post! OMG they are amazing. I think I over mixed the frosting as it separated. Tried adding more p sugar but it didn’t help. Sandwiched them anyways and they were amazing!
Hi Karen! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I can honestly say that I have never had the frosting separate so I’m sorry I can’t help you there! I’m glad they were so yum anyway! Isn’t the cookie amazing? Tastes just like a brownie! I love these 🙂 Thanks for coming back to share your thoughts Karen! 🙂
These do look super indulgent! I love it. There’s nothing better than the chocolate/peanut butter flavour combination is there. These are going on my must-make list!
Thanks Lucy! There is not enough peanut butter and chocolate here in Australia….I am single handedly on a mission to change that! 🙂
Nagi, I’m totally swooning over these cookies. They look absolutely delicious. And as you may know I’m helpless chocoholic! I might just make this with nutella filling. Haha
Ooh….talk about stepping it up!! Nutella frosting? Yes yes YES! 🙂
This is one seriously impressive cookie! Love love love IT! Chocolate and peanut butter are my WEAKNESS!
Same here Jessica!! There is NOT enough Peanut Butter and Chocolate combos here in Australia 🙂 On a mission to change that!
I would have to hide these beauties in my household as peanut butter and chocolate is almost everyone’s favorite. Things that are this good have a tendency to “just go missing in my house” . Who ate the last cookie and they all have the look of Well it wasn’t me look on their face. I know better now, double the batch and keep one have hidden for mom. Sharing, of course!
He he!! I low what you mean – though I have to hide them from MYSELF because if I see the tin of cookies sitting on the countner, it’s ME who keeps digging into the cookie jar!! 🙂
Nagi, these look amazingly good! I love that you could sub out different flavors for the frosting filling as well in case not everyone is a peanut butter lover.
Thank you Tara!! Quite a compliment coming from you, given how many baked treats on your site I have drooled over!! 🙂
I can tell these are extremely delicious! Great job Nagi! Love the chocolate peanut butter combination!
Thanks so much Mira! Hope you are having a lovely weekend 🙂
Loving the crackle on those brownie cookies. Yum!
Thanks Helen!! Oh, I meant to check if you’ve been to Ester! I was curious what you thought of it (if you have been) – I had low expectations and was blown away!! Popping over now to check 🙂
Yep I’ve been to Ester a couple of times now. Love it 🙂
Such a great idea, i can taste them in my head. they are so gorgeous
Thanks so much Tania! I meant to ask you more about hellochef.com, I love that idea so much!! You share the coolest things! I keep meaning to do the cooking course you did too 🙂
She bakes!!
Nagi, I’m super impressed with your baking skills here. These look a bit like macarons … which pretty much everyone likes, I reckon.
Also … coincidence … I’m making something with a peanut butter frosting later today too! For the FBC blog hop, actually 😉
Oooh!!! Can’t wait to see what you are making! You know, I think this is the first time I’ve made peanut butter frosting, I was super impressed! I was eating the frosting by the spoonful, which I don’t ordinarily do because I find normal frosting way too sweet! But the salty touch makes such a difference! 🙂
Ha! I was eating mine by the spoonful last night. too! 🙂
What I would give for one of these right now! I’m having a little tea party on Sunday and think these would be awesome to serve my guests. Anything chocolate & peanut butter is an instant winner in my book!
Thalia, I very much doubt you are short of ideas for glorious afternoon tea party ideas, with the talent you have 🙂 But thank you for your kind words!!
Almost like a brownie whoopie pie but this certainly hits my American hot button with chocolate and peanut butter. Yours are beautiful!
Maureen, you and I need to start a campaign to get Australians on board the chocolate and peanut butter obsession that amercians have…..!!
If I do that, then I’d have to share, right?
Share? I do not know what that word means when chocolate is around me 🙂
As you might have guessed Nagi, I too am more of a savoury person but we all need a sweet hit every now and then and these would be perfect!
We are two of a kind Rachel! I figure that given I don’t make sweet things much, when I do, I may as well go all out! 🙂
Your email made me laugh… your mum is tough with you, isn’t she?
Those cookies look so moreish and delicious! Beautiful food styling, as always!
Very honoured that you think so Mel, coming from such a fab baker as yourself! Have you shared that croissant recipe yet? I am so curious what the recipe is….I know it will be a VERY LONG POST!!! I’ll clear a weekend to make it! 🙂
This looks amazing Nagi!! 😀 I love Brownie Cookies… I made some too, but now I’m a little embarrassed by mine… I’m going to try yours! Especially with the Peanut Butter Frosting!
Dini! You should never be embarrassed by what you share! I’m popping over now to check yours out – I bet it ROCKS and you are being totally humble! 🙂
Oh my, these look perfect! I love the crackled texture, so beautiful. Also love the look of the filling even though I don’t like peanut butter. I have some leftover espresso buttercream frosting in the fridge, now I know what to smear that in between. 🙂
Trust YOU to take my recipe up a notch by using a fancy frosting instead of a run of the mill peanut butter one!! 🙂 (I wish I knew how to do an emoticon with a tongue sticking out cause that’s what I actually want to put in this message!)
Hehehe, my new motto is, if it doesn’t have espresso in it it’s not a dessert! 😛
Seriously, I am a Nespresso girl and I just ordered a batch of strong capsules just so I could try your macaroon recipe!! 🙂 (Normally I am a mid strength coffee gal but that is no good for baking!)
Oooh, I hope you like them! 🙂
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! 🙂