Brownie Pan Chewies- The Only Cookie Recipe You will EVER Need!

I.  LOVE. COOKIES!  LOVE THEM! Cookies are my absolute weakness.  I absolutely love a good, soft, chewy cookie.  Especially chocolate chip.  When I was in grad school I had a professor who would bring us cookies.  For the life of me I cannot remember her name, what she taught, or even what she looked like, but boy do I remember her cookies!  One day she brought in the most fabulous chocolate chip cookie I have ever eaten.  It was big and soft.  It was chewy and chocolaty.  I immediately asked her for the recipe and I've made this cookie ever since.  Being true to myself, I had to mess with it to take it to the next level.  I have used the base of this recipe and changed it up from chocolate chips, to cherries and chocolate chunks, to chocolate toffee bits, to caramel bits.  These cookies are AH-MAZ-ING.  Oh, and did I mention that I bake them in a brownie pan, which gives them a unique square shape and thick, soft texture?  That takes them to the limit of cookie deliciousness!  Don't have a brownie pan?  NEVER FEAR!  You can bake them in muffin tins!  YUM!

Brownie Pan Chewies
(makes 24 brownie pan cookies or muffin tin cookies)

Dark Chocolate Chunk Cherry Chewies

Wet ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks melted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup baker's sugar 
• 1 egg (room temperature)
• 1 egg yolk (room temperature)
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups pastry flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix in ideas (any one of these or combination of these):

• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semisweet or whatever chocolate chips you like)
• 4 oz chopped dark chocolate chunks
• 2 cups chocolate toffee bits
• 1 cup m&ms
• 1 cup caramel bits
• Any other thing your heart desires!
• A small amount of sea salt (for the top)

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients together (I like to use my KitchenAid).  Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully mixed together.  Fold in your mix-ins until well incorporated.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for AT LEAST two hours. A cold dough is VERY important otherwise the dough will not bake properly.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease two brownie (12 count) brownie pans or muffin tins.  Using a medium cookie scoop or a large tablespoon drop large rounds of cookie dough into each tin (do not flatten). Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a small amount of sea salt - yes this sounds weird but trust me, it is WORTH IT! Bake 15-20 minutes, watching carefully after 15 minutes so they do not over bake.  Cookies will be lightly golden brown and soft in the middle.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Until next time, happy and clean cooking!