My sister Cindy and her partner Dan were coming over for supper the other night. I made Easy Pizza Casserole for our meal, and served it with a salad and some garlic bread, but I was looking for a lush dessert/cookie/bar to serve for dessert.
Dan is a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. (Who isn't!) We all love brownies. I decided to make Brookies, which combines the best of both worlds!
Chewy fudgy chocolate brookies combine the best of both worlds. You get an addictive chocolate chip cookie base with a lush rich chocolate fudge brownie layer baked on top! You can't go wrong!
If you can find a bar that is any more moreish or addictive I would like to meet it! These bars are fabulous. I downsized/small-batched my favourite recipe to make a manageable amount for the smaller family.
We each enjoyed one on the night. I gave my sister some to take home with her and kept a couple for myself. Totally manageable. When a cookie bar is as delicious as these are, you really don't want too much temptation hanging about in your kitchen.
I have little to no willpower when it comes to things like this. I know myself well. Small-batching it is the only way to go, even if I am having company! That way I have a manageable amount and cannot overdo it when it comes to pigging out!
I mean . . . just look at that photograph. Can anything be more delicious looking? I think not!
This is a cookie bar that you won't be able to resist sinking your teeth into. I guarantee!
Of course if you are not a glutton like myself, you can easily double the ingredients and make a full batch. In that case you would need to bake them in a 9 by 13 inch pan, and use a whole egg for the cookie base.
The cook time will remain basically the same as with these.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE BROOKIES
Simple store cupboard ingredients. I am betting you have everything you need in your kitchen right now!
flour (plain all-purpose flour)
unsweetened cocoa powder (Do not confuse this with the hot drink mix. They are not the same thing.)
eggs (I always use large free range eggs)
semi sweet chocolate chips (I like either the Costco brand or President's Choice Decadent ones)
baking powder
baking soda
salt
butter (I always use just plain salted butter unless otherwise specified)
vanilla (I use pure vanilla extract. This is the kind I buy and it lasts a long time.
walnuts (I always toast my nuts before using them)
Not only are these lush bars delicious, but they are really attractive. You get that beautiful combination of colors with the golden brown chewy chocolate chip cookie base and then the dark fudgy brownie tops.
The walnuts on top give a nice crunch. You could ice them if you really want to, but trust me, these are beautifully perfect on their own without any frosting.
HOW DO YOU MAKE BROOKIES
These are a very simple make, trust me on this. So long as you follow the recipe instructions to a "T," you will have no problem and they will turn out perfectly!
You begin by making the chocolate chip cookie bottoms. Cream the butter and both sugars together just as you would any chocolate chip cookie. If your brown sugar is really lumpy, you may want to put it through a sieve first, or at the very least rub it with your fingers to get all the lumps out.
I use an electric hand mixer for this and it all goes together really quickly. Beat in the egg yolk and the vanilla. You can freeze the egg white for another purpose.
They freeze really well and come in very handy for recipes such as pavlova or angel food cake. You can find my small batch pavlova recipe here. You can find my small batch angel food cake here. Both are excellent recipes.
Once you have all the wettish ingredients for the cookie bottom combined you need to stir in the dry. I like to sift my flour and soda together with the salt so that the soda is evenly distributed. Just stir it in and then stir in the chocolate chips.
The hardest part is patting it out in the baking tin. I like to lightly flour my finger-tips which makes this a much easier chore. Make sure you get it right into every corner!
Once you have the chocolate chip cookie dough patted out you need to make the brownie topping. This goes together very quickly.
Stir the melted butter, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. I sift the flour and cocoa powder together with the baking powder and salt, again to make sure everything is combined equally.
Stir the flour and cocoa mixture into the wet mixture, combining it all equally, making sure there are no lumps and dry patches.
This is then very easy to pour/spread over top of the chocolate chip dough. I tend to drizzle it over slowly moving it across the cookie dough, using a rubber spatula to scrape out every smidgen of brownie batter!
Just get it as evenly as you can. It will spread on baking. Once I have done that I sprinkle the toasted walnut pieces over the top evenly.
I like to toast my nuts. They just taste better and are crunchier and nuttier. 8 to 10 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet in a moderate oven does the trick. Leave them to cool before using.
I do mine a whole bag at a time and keep them in the freezer in an airtight container. This helps to not only keep my nuts from going rancid, but also means I don't have to stop and toast my nuts every time I need to use them.
It makes sense. You can use them in baking, salads, etc. No need to thaw them out first.
Another handy tip when I am baking is to line the baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang to life the finished bakes and cakes out with when done. The finished bake just looks nicer when cooled, with no bar or other unsightly marks from the cooling rack.
Bakes and bars are also a lot easier to cut into squares and bars when they are out of the pan. I have always found that when I try to cut these in the pan, the first bar can be difficult to get out and is often destroyed getting it out of the pan. This doesn't happen if you lift the whole bunch out first!
Because each layer of these amazing brookies is made individually they go together lickety split. Both are very easy makes on their own, and it is a simple matter of layering which is such a simple thing to do.
They also bake up really quickly, meaning you can have this delicious moreish treat ready to eat in not much more than half an hour, depending on if you like to eat them warm, or are happy with them cold.
These are brilliant on their own with a nice glass of cold milk, or you can turn them into a lush brownie dessert by serving them one at a time in a dessert nappy, slightly warm and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For extra decadence, why not spoon some hot fudge brownie topping over top! I can promise you any way you serve these, they are bound to be loved by whomever.
Whether you serve them as an after school treat, a lush dessert, or enjoy them as a sneaky nibble in the middle of the night, they will always go down a real treat!
Brookies (small batch)
Yield: 9
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min
These fabulous bar cookies are a delicious combination of chocolate chip cookies and brownies. They are seriously moreish!
Ingredients
For the chocolate chip cookie layer:
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g)light brown sugar
- 2 TBS white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2/3 cup (83g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (90g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the brownie layer:
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 TBS cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (35g)plain all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 TBS chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 8-inch square baking dish. Partially line with baking paper, leaving an overhang to lift out the baked squares when done.
- To make the cookie layer, beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until creamy. Add the egg yolk beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, combining well together. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to cover completely.
- To make the brownie layer, stir the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; add the egg and beat well. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir into the butter mixture until thoroughly combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Pour brownie batter over cookie dough and spread to cover completely. Sprinkle the toasted walnuts over top evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brookies comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
- To cut into bars, life the brookies out by the paper overhang onto a cutting board. I make three cuts one day and three the other. Perfection.
I apologize upfront for the quality of the photographs of this recipe for this pizza casserole with pasta that I am sharing with you today. Its not the prettiest crayon in the box.
I also couldn't take a photo of the insides of it as I served it for company. My sister and Dan. Dan loves pasta bakes and so I made it to please him. He likes pasta bakes and he likes pizza. Why not combine the two!
This easy recipe takes everything we like about pizza and combines it with pasta noodles to form one great pasta bake that the whole family is sure to love!
Not only is it very easy to make and bake (it all mixes and bakes together in the one pan) but you can very easily adapt it to your own family's likes and dislikes!
There is literally no faffing about with having to cook pasta ahead of time. If you don't like pepperoni, just leave it off!
If you don't like mushrooms of peppers, leave them out. Love hot Italian sausage or sweet, use whichever one you want, or replace it completely with some ground beef.
Craving a Hawaiian Pizza? Use Ham and pineapple. Its really up to you.
You can do a meat lovers and use all sorts of different meats, add olives, or hot peppers to the top at the end, etc. It really is a delicious and incredibly adaptable recipe!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY PIZZA CASSEROLE
Nothing fancy really, and you can adapt it to your own likes and dislikes.
- uncooked pasta (I use penne, but you can also use fusilli or any other similar shaped noodle/pasta)
- pizza sauce (I like the garlic and basil one)
- water
- chopped veggies (I use peppers, onions and mushrooms)
- cooked meats (I used sweet Italian sausage and pepperoni)
- cheese (I use a combo of mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan)
- salt and black pepper (I didn't use any at all)
Really you can feel free to use any favorite pizza toppings, etc. that you enjoy! The important thing is to keep the measures of the pasta and the liquid ingredients the same as per the recipe requirements!
HOW TO MAKE EASY PIZZA CASSEROLE
It really is such a simple, no fuss, no muss recipe. If you can stir things together you can make this! It is really as simple as all that.
If you are using Italian Sausage or Ground beef, you will need to crumble the sausage and beef first into a skillet and cook until browned. You could use ground turkey as well if you wanted to make it a bit healthier.
Sometimes we like ham or bacon with our pizzas, and they also work well in here. Just cube the ham if you like that. Or you can fry and crumble the bacon.
In the UK you could get bacon or pancetta lardons, which were like little cubes of bacon or pancetta (an Italian bacon). They were really easy to brown in a skillet.
There is no need to precook the pasta for this recipe. The pasta actually cooks in the oven in the sauce. That is why you need extra water. I adore pasta cooked in this way as it actually absorbs all of the flavors of the sauce you are using, and don't worry, it cooks properly and you do not end up with a watery finish!
It is very important however that you keep the measurements of the past and the liquids as per the recipe. This is the proper amount to use for this recipe, and the proper liquid for this amount of pasta.
You begin by putting the pasta into a buttered baking dish. You don't really need to butter the dish, but I always do just in case things stick. That's just me! I prefer to err on the side of caution.
The pizza sauce and water get combined with all of the add ins and poured over the pasta in the dish. Give everything a good stir together to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
That's probably the hardest part, making sure everything is evenly distributed and you don't end up with all of the meats in one corner, or all of the vegetables in another.
Its okay to stick your fingers in and give everything a little bit of help. But then again, I am a person who doesn't mind getting my fingers dirty.
Once everything is as you want it you combine all of the cheeses. I choose to use three different kinds.
Mozzarella for its stretchy pizza goodness. Cheddar for its flavor, which I really enjoy. Mozzarella can be quite bland. Also Parmesan (or smelly sock as we used to call it when we were growing up). Also for its saltiness and its flavour.
If you have other cheeses which you prefer more, by all means use them. These cheeses get sprinkled evenly over top of the pasta in the dish.
Finally you want to place the pepperoni if you are using it over the top of the cheese. Feel free to use other toppings as well if you wish. Sliced or chopped black or green olives, red onion, hot peppers, etc. Choose and use what you and your family enjoy!
Finally you just tightly cover the casserole dish with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for half an hour and then uncover and bake for a few minutes longer to brown everything up a bit. Your pasta will be cooked perfectly al dente and everything with be tasty delicious!
Dan really, really enjoyed this. I served it with a tossed salad and some garlic bread on the side. He was in man-pizza-pasta heaven! I confess, I really enjoyed it as well and I thought you would too, which is why I am sharing it with you today! I wish I could have taken a photo of the insides, but everyone was too hungry. It smells amazing when it is baking.
This is a real family pleaser, any way you look at it. I took the leftovers over to my daughter after dinner and she messaged me later on to tell me it was delicious. I love serving and feeding my family. That puts me in my happy place. 😃
Easy Pizza Casserole
Yield: 6
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This is a real family favorite. It makes a lot but you can separate it into individual casseroles and freeze them.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (230g) penne pasta (can also use fusilli)
- 2 cups (480ml) pizza sauce
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) water
- 1/2 cup (60g)grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup (60g) grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 each, red, green and yellow peppers, chopped
- 6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 4 Italian sausages, skinned, crumbled and browned (you decide if you want hot or sweet sausage)
- 12 pepperoni rounds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 7. Butter a 7 by 11 inch baking dish.
- Pour the dry pasta into the dish.
- Whisk the pizza sauce and water together in a large glass bowl, along with the chopped onions, peppers, mushrooms and sausage. Pour this mixture over the pasta in the baking dish. Stir to coat all the pasta with the sauce and distribute the vegetables and sausage.
- Combine all three cheeses. Sprinkle them evenly over top of the pasta in the dish, then place the pepperoni rounds on top of the cheese, evenly spacing them.
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer until the pasta is al dente, the cheese has melted and the pepperoni has browned.
- Serve hot.
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Chimichurri Sauce may not be a sauce you are familiar with. Its a lovely lush and spicy sauce which hails from Argentina.
Its deliciously created from fresh herbs, vinegar, seasonings, red pepper flakes and plenty of garlic, and there is not much it doesn't go with!
Today I created Chimichurri chicken breast, but it goes with all sorts of grilled meats. Steak is a real favorite with me as well!
I adapted this recipe from one found in the cookbook entitled Seriously Simple, by Diane Rossen Worthington. Its a great book filled with lovely seriously simple recipes. I really enjoy my copy.
Most require nothing more than simple ingredients, cooking methods and cooking equipment. Simple flavors and foods done really well in a very simple way.
It doesn't get much better than that in my opinion!
Of course the star of this is the chimichurri recipe. Such a simple sauce, but the flavors are just wowza! I am sure once you have made it and tasted it, you will be able to think of all sorts of applications for it.
It is not only great as a sauce, but makes an excellent marinade as this recipe today expertly illustrates!
You do need to be fond of garlic however and a little bit of sauce goes a very long way as it is rather spicy. Because the garlic isn't cooked it has a bit of a bite! But trust me when I say it totally works just as is!
Diane says that the sauce got its name from the legend that British laborers working in Argentina saw bowls of this sauce and would say, "Give me curry," which over the years evolved into (as things do) "Chimichurri!" Makes sense to me!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
First of all, the most important ingredient here is the food processor. You could use a mortar and pestle as well if you have one, but you can't beat a food processor for its ease of preparation!
- garlic cloves, peeled
- flat leaf parsley
- olive oil
- white wine vinegar
- water or chicken broth
- dried oregano
- dried parsley
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes (crushed chilies)
HOW TO MAKE CHIMICHURRI SAUCE
Nothing could be easier, especially with a food processor.
You will need to puree the garlic first. Simply peel it and pop it into the food processor. You then pulse it until it is very fine or as fine as you can get it. You then add the parsley leaves and pulse until they are finely chopped.
The original recipe called for a whole bunch of flat leaf parsley, just the leaves. I used approximately 1/2 a bunch, and yes, stripped the leaves from the stems. It doesn't really take that long.
Once you have the garlic and parsley minced, it is a simple matter of whisking in the remaining ingredients. You can also give them a quick whisk in by pulsing them in a few times in the food processor.
That's it your marinade and sauce is done! Do taste it to make sure you have enough seasoning.
HOW TO CUT UP A WHOLE CHICKEN
Cutting up your own chicken is a lot cheaper than buying store cut chicken and its really easy to do if you have a sharp boning knife and a set of kitchen scissors.
1. Lay the bird on its back. Wiggle a wing to determine where the joint attaches to the breast. To separate the wing from the breast, use a sharp knife to cut through the ball joint where it meets the breast. Repeat with the other wing.
2.Pull a leg away from the body to see where it attaches. To remove the whole leg, first cut through the skin between the thigh and the breast.
3. Continue to pull on the leg and wiggle it a bit to determine where the thigh meets the socket in the back. Use a boning knife or paring knife to cut through that joint. Repeat with the other leg.
4. Place each leg skin-side down. With your hand and knife, bend the leg to feel for the ball joint. That's where the drumstick and thigh are connected. Then, look for the thin line of fat that runs along the ball joint. Cut through the line of fat to separate the thigh and drumstick. Wiggle the joint as needed so it's easy to cut. Repeat with the other leg. I often just keep the thigh and drumstick together as a chicken quarter joint. Its up to you.
5. To remove the backbone, start at the head end of the bird and cut through the rib cage on one side of the backbone with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove it completely. (I like to reserve the backbone and neck for chicken stock.)
6.Now cut the breast into two halves. Place the breast skin-side down. To protect your hand, fold a kitchen towel and place it on top of a heavy, sharp knife. Use your weight to cut through the breast bone and cartilage down the center of the breast.
7. Now that you have two breast halves, if you think they are overly large, you can cut each breast half in half again, crosswise. The wishbone is located at the thick part of the breast. If you want, you can tease the meat away from the two pieces of wishbone using your hands and/or a sharp knife to scrape the meat from the bone.
The first time you cut up your own chicken it can be a bit intimidating, but once you have done it you will see how easy it is and each time you do it, it becomes that much easier.
It just makes sense to cut up your own when chicken is so expensive to buy already cut up. Why not line your own pockets with the cash rather than the grocery shop's!
I marinated and grilled skin on chicken breasts for this and I did push a bit of the marinade in between the skin and the breast as well when I was marinating them. This really got the flavors right in there.
You can use the chimichurri sauce on any cut of chicken however, so don't limit yourself. If you prefer thighs, then use them! I would do them boneless as well. I do like to keep the skin on when grilling as it helps to keep the chicken from drying out too much.
In any case I hope you will try this simple and delicious recipe. I would serve these with some lovely boiled and crushed potatoes and a vegetable on the side, or even rice. Something that will absorb all of those tasty juices! 😋
Grilled Chicken Breasts with Chimichurri Sauce
Yield: 2
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 Mininactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
A wonderfully herby garlic sauce serves as both marinade and condiment to these delicious grilled chicken breasts. Amounts are for two, but can be doubled or tripled. You will need a food processor to make the sauce.
Ingredients
For the sauce and marinade:
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
- 2 TBS white wine vinegar
- 2 TBS water or chicken broth
- 1/3 tsp dried oregano
- 1/3 tsp dried basil
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the chicken:
- Two skin on boneless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 TBS of the chimichurri sauce
- 1 TBS olive oil
Instructions
- First make the chimichurri sauce. You will need a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the garlic cloves and puree. Add the parsley and chop finely. Add the oil, vinegar, water or broth and seasonings. Process to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. It will be garlicky and spicy.
- Combine 1 1/2 TBS of the sauce with the olive oil in a bowl. Add the chicken breast to the bowl, turning to coat them. Marinate for half an hour at room temperature. (Alternately they can marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.)
- Preheat an outdoor grill, a grill pan, or an electric grill for medium heat grilling.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place onto the grill, presentation side down (skin side). Grill for 7 to 10 minutes. Flip over and grill for a further 7 to 10 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear. Timings depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Serve the breasts hot with the sauce on the side, ready for drizzling over them.
Notes:
This very versatile sauce goes with grilled steaks, lamb, pork or fish. It will keep for a few days, covered, in the refrigerator, but the parsley will not be as brightly coloured.
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