How’s everyone’s week starting? I’m gearing up for Valentine’s Day over here. As much as I couldn’t care less about Valentine’s Day, I do admit that I love the associated desserts. Tons of candy, red velvet, and overall decadence. And being a chocolate girl? Well, it goes without saying. I have been known to scope out CVS the day after Valentine’s for those large chocolate heart-shaped chocolate boxes at 75% off.
(It’s a great idea. Just saying.)
So lo and behold, the next few recipes on the blog will be ridiculously decadent and undoubtably either chocolate or red. Or in this case, both.
I’m pleased to debut: Red Velvet Brookies. They’re a combination between a brownie and a cookie and they taste darn delicious. They hold the shape of a cookie, but the inside is the texture of a brownie. The trick is to take these babies out really early. Like, one minute too long and the brownie texture may get lost. But oh man are they worth it.
And look how Valentine’s-y they are! Cupid would be proud. That is, if Cupid were a baker and had a knack for brookies.
Tips for making red velvet brookies
Really beat the butter and sugar — I know the whole point of these brookies is that they’re supposed to be dense and fudgy. But even so, you should take the time to beat the butter and sugar for a solid 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Just trust me on this one, it’s important.
Chill before baking — After you form the MASSIVE brookies, plop them onto a baking sheet and chill them for a few hours. Chilling the dough prevents these brookies from cooking too fast and keeps the outside crisp and the inside dense.
Don’t over bake the brookies — When in doubt, pull the brookies out of the oven a little early. These babies will continue cooking on the baking sheet as they come to room temperature, so it’s better to pull them out a little early than over bake them. If you over bake these, they’ll lose their brownie-like texture!
Did you know that Alex’s and my anniversary is in two days? Instead of going out on Valentine’s Day, we pick a place to go to an amazing dinner the week beforehand. No crowded restaurants, no tacky Valentine’s decorations, and no swarms of two-tops holding hands and whispering I-Love-You’s.Because in a way, we have our own Valentine’s Day on our anniversary. It’s a twofer and I love it.
What will we do on Valentine’s Day, you ask? Probably get take-out and eat it on the couch while watching Archer or Justified. And I love that just the same 🙂
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used King Arthur Unbleached AP Flour)
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons red food coloring
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups white chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
Instructions
Line a large baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars for 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves into the butter. Lower the speed to medium-low, and mix in the eggs, red food coloring, and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating until a little flour remains. Fold in the white chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Shape the dough roughly into a ball, but do not roll it. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to 12 hours before baking.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cookies for 17 minutes, until the brookies are soft to the touch*. When in doubt, take your brookies out early, as they will continue to cook as they cool. I can’t stress this enough! Cool on a wire rack, then serve!
Notes
*When you pull them out of the oven, the brookies should have an outside that’s slightly crisped, but a middle that is still slightly wet and doughy
I made these with edible brownie batter in the middle, melted semi-sweet chocolate on top, and an Oreo on top of that. This was seriously incredible. My husband told me it was the best cookie he had ever had and everyone at work adored them as well. Cannot recommend more highly, especially with the additions that I included in this comment.
Ok I absolute love these cookies particularly the texture and want to experiment with it a little bit. Could you replace the coco powder with regular flour to make a vanilla brookie? And would the ratios still be the same?
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
So do I refrigerate the cookie dough balls for only 2 hours, or is 12 hours the max time? Urgent question for a upcoming event. Thank you!!
Hi there! I would not refrigerate for more than 12!
I made these with edible brownie batter in the middle, melted semi-sweet chocolate on top, and an Oreo on top of that. This was seriously incredible. My husband told me it was the best cookie he had ever had and everyone at work adored them as well. Cannot recommend more highly, especially with the additions that I included in this comment.
★★★★★
What a fabulous idea! So happy you enjoyed these!
Ok I absolute love these cookies particularly the texture and want to experiment with it a little bit. Could you replace the coco powder with regular flour to make a vanilla brookie? And would the ratios still be the same?
★★★★★
Making red velvet brookies has been an annual tradition for my family and I for the past three years, thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!
I made these exactly as listed and found them to be a bit salty. Not inedible, but I would decrease the salt next time.
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Unsalted!