Brownie Cookies

A good trip to the library for me means coming home with a cookbook. This morning was one of those good trips. I wasn't planning on even looking at them, because I have way too much to do this week to be drooling over recipes that I don't have time to make. But as I was checking out, there IT was. Staring me down. Begging to be picked up. On the "New Item" table. "Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers." It came home with me and I not only read the introduction and the know-how sections this morning, but I also made one of the recipes this afternoon.

The great thing about this cookbook is that it makes very small desserts (that can easily be polished off in one day!). So they take less time, use less ingredients, and - the best part in my eyes - you could literally make and eat a different chocolate dessert every single day. If you had the time. Which I don't. But I could try.

Brownie Cookies
from Small Batch Baking for Chocolate Lovers

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon well-beaten egg (beat egg, then pour into measuring spoon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl; microwave on medium power until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in the bwon sugar; whisk in the egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in the flour. Cover and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

Spoon the dough by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have puffed then flattened, about 14 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes 7 cookies.

So I didn't realize until I sat down to type the recipe, that I had missed a possibly crucial step - refrigerating before baking. I was going to write that I would bake them much less, because mine ended up being crispy, and I'm not an edge-piece lover. So if you do like the edge pieces, you may want to skip that step, or reduce the time in the refrigerator. I guess I'll just have to make them again to find out what a difference the step makes!