Brookie Stack Cookies
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Two doughs in one cookie: chocolate chip cookie dough chilled first. Brownie cookie batter rich with cocoa and cornstarch for tender chew. Melted chocolate and butter mixed gently after whisking eggs and sugar to thick pale ribbons. Folding flour mix and chocolate chips careful to keep shine. Chill doughs short before weighing and shaping. Layer small balls like puzzle pieces, twist half turn for marbled magic. Bake on parchment lined sheets. Cooled on sheets till set. About 14 big cookies or smaller at 2 oz per. Slight tweaks in times and amounts for better chew and a bit more salt brings out chocolate flavors.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
12 min
Total:
47 min
Servings:
14 servings
#cookies
#baking
#chocolate
#brownie
#dessert
#American cuisine
Cookies tactile, warm smell thick chocolate tease. Browning on edges just right, soft center still melts in mouth. Two doughs mingling, each bite twists sweet with subtle texture differences. Tried before, learned keep dough cold for layers that hold. Toss cornstarch in brownie mix for tender crumb instead of tough. Stir chocolate in cooled so mix thickens gentle, not grainy. Oven hotter than usual to brown crisp edges quick without drying out. Split marbled dough ball, twist half turn, roll back, neat swirl inside. Cookie crust crackles as it bakes; that’s your sign. Classic chip sweetness meets intense cocoa fudge notes; satisfy yeast-cookie & brownie lovers alike. Some mess, some patience, mostly magic in layers.
Ingredients
- For chocolate chip dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- For brownie cookie batter
- 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
About the ingredients
Butter tips: Use softened butter but rectangle shape so it creams evenly with sugar; less grainy batter means better rise. No cornstarch? Replace with potato starch or sift extra flour by a tablespoon for tender crumb in brownie dough. Vanilla beans or paste upgrade flavor – few black specs worth the extra money. Melt chocolate slowly or microwave on 30-second bursts, stirring in between—burnt chocolate ruins batter faster than over whisked eggs. Measuring flour by weight improves consistency; spoon and level for accurate volume if no scale. Eggs room temp help mix homogenous mousse—cold eggs risk curdling melted chocolate mix. Substitute bittersweet with dark chocolate 60-70% for richer bite; milk chocolate throws balance off sweetness. Brown sugar best fresh; old hardened sugar makes cracks in dough affecting final chew.
Method
- Start with cold butter for chocolate chip dough, cream with sugars until fluffy but don’t overdo or it’ll be greasy. Add egg and vanilla, mix moderately. Fold dry ingredients swiftly, toss chocolate chips last. Wrap dough, chill minimum 1 hour or up to overnight best for structure.
- Line medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, cornstarch, baking powder, salt. Cornstarch softens brownie cookie crumb - don’t skip or tough. Set aside. Melt butter and 3 oz bittersweet chips in small pan over low heat, stir slowly. Sharp eye, don’t burn or seize. Off heat add vanilla, let cool until barely warm.
- In mixer bowl whisk eggs, white and brown sugars at med-high until mix thickens to pale ribbon stage—look for strings of batter dropping off whisk. Stop before grainy sugars dissolve entirely. Fold cooled chocolate-butter into egg mix gently with spatula - thickens as you go.
- Add flour-cocoa mix and chocolate chips. Fold slowly just to combine shiny dough. Don’t overmix; shiny surface signals right hydration and mix. Chill batter 20 minutes so trimming and weight is tidy and easier to handle.
- Preheat oven to 410°F for hotter oven push—helps brown edges and keeps center soft. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats to avoid sticking.
- Remove chocolate chip dough. Use food scale if possible: 1.2 oz balls best for balance. Roll into compact balls; plopping messy balls dries edges and ruins base.
- Same for brownie cookie dough—smaller tweaks encouraged; about 1–1.3 oz is right for the sturdy brownie.
- Building cookies? Layer chip, brownie, chip, brownie. Press lightly to keep some separation while dough is still cool and firm.
- Now twist half dough vertically 180 degrees, then roll gently between palms to marble dough - sets structure and gives that cool swirled look with texture contrast.
- Place cookies spaced at least 2 inches apart on sheets. Bake about 9–12 minutes. Watch crackling edges and slightly puffed top for doneness signs. Center should remain soft but not raw.
- Cool on baking sheet 10-15 minutes before transferring—critical or cookies fall apart when hot. Cooling lets fats set for chew and layers hold together cleanly.
Cooking tips
Creaming sugar and butter build air pockets for lighter cookie texture; slow and steady, not whipped to buttercream but not soupy either. Adding eggs and vanilla steadily prevents separation. In brownie batters, high-speed whisk eggs and sugar until volume increases and color fades to pale yellow-latte—visual cue more reliable than clock. Folding flour gently retains air; overmix toughens. Cooling melted chocolate before mixing prevents scrambling eggs—chocolate burns easy so use low heat or microwave bursts. Chilling ensures dough firms for best shape retention when layering stacked cookie balls. Weighing each ball means evenly sized cookies bake uniformly—without, expect some smaller chewy and some overcooked. The twisting move compresses layers creating marble look and textural contrast but done too hard blends colors and layers into mud. Baking times vary oven to oven; watch edges crisping before center. Cooling on hot tray is final step letting fat solidify binding crumb; impatient handling equals crumbly cookies.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter softened but still cold enough to keep dough firm. Rectangle shape helps even creaming, less gritty sugar texture. Oversoft butter wrecks structure. Use scale for flour, spoon and level if not—flour packs and changes hydration. Room temperature eggs give mousse-like mix; cold makes lumps, scrambles chocolate mix.
- 💡 Cold dough chills firm layers for clean swirl. Don’t skip resting times. Baking at 410°F speeds browning, edges crisp but watch timer. Oven heat varies; edges crackle, tops puff slight signals done. Underbake a bit if you want chew; overbake turns crumb dry and dull.
- 💡 Chocolate melt low slow or microwave bursts, stir often—burnt bits ruin batter texture fast. Add vanilla off heat so aroma floats, not ages off heat exposure. Whisk eggs and sugar med-high for pale ribbon strings; stop early or grainy sugar ruins mouthfeel and batter thickness.
- 💡 Roll dough balls tight, no loose edges or spread ruins base. Weigh 1.2 oz chip dough, 1–1.3 oz brownie for even bake, adjust small for sturdier brownie layers. Layers need some space; too tight blends swirl to muddy gray and flattens texture difference.
- 💡 Twisting vertical half turns sets marble look, don't overdo or colors blend too much. Roll gentle after twist to seal layers but keep contrast. Cool cookies on pans 10-15 mins; handle warm causes crumble, fats not set yet, impatient breaks layers fast.
Common questions
How to fix crumbly cookies?
Chill dough thoroughly. Warm dough spreads thin, breaks apart. Weigh balls even, roll tight edges. Too soft butter or overbake dries crumb fast. Try potato starch if cornstarch missing; tender crumb needs starch layer or extra flour dust.
Substitute for butter?
Use high fat margarine or coconut oil but expect texture change. Margarine softer needs less mixing to avoid greasy feel. Coconut oil aroma changes fudge note. Always test small batch. Butter shapes structure more stable; substitutes can spread more.
How to tell done?
Look for crackling edges, slight puff top, soft center that’s not raw. Timing wide 9-12 mins; oven varies big. Don’t rely on color alone. Cool 10-15 mins on sheet for fats to firm up crisp crust and layers. Hot cookies break easily.
Best storage tips?
Layer cooled cookies separated with parchment. Room temp dbl days fine; fridge dries, freezer longer but seal well or frost picks flavors. Warm cookies fridge sweats, lose crisp. Freeze dough balls if weeks ahead; thaw in fridge overnight then shape and bake.
