Cookie Candy Brownies

Yesterday, I made a delicious treat to share with my students today, and they loved them so much that I have to share the recipe for anyone who may want to make these. They sure did go over well with a group of ravenous eighth graders at an after school Halloween party! 

For lack of a batter name, I just call them the "cookie candy brownies" because, well, they're made of cookies, candy, and brownies... clever, huh? 

(The full recipe will be posted the the END of this blog post!) 

Basically, you create the bottom with chocolate chip cookie dough, then add a piece of candy, and cover that with brownie batter before baking. It's simple, but it was still time consuming because of all the steps and the amount that I made. 

THE RECIPE

1. Make cookie dough. (Directions for MY cookie dough are found below.)

2. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. *This step is a MUST because I tried them without liners, and I had to scoop them out with a spoon, and they were AWFUL looking!

3. Smoosh cookie dough as flat as possible into the cupcake liners.

4. Cut Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in half.

5. Place one half of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top of cookie dough in each cupcake liner.

6. Make brownie batter according to box mix.

7. Pour brownie batter over cookie dough and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. *Make sure you cover the entire thing for best results.

8. Bake for 18 minutes on 350*. (I found that they needed to cook for 22 minutes, but that may be the altitude in Colorado. Check yours at 18 minutes.)

*SPECIAL NOTES: 

- I made 36 of these with ONE batch of cookie dough.

- I needed TWO batches of boxed brownie mix to make that many, though. Be prepared.

ENJOY! :) 

Cookie Dough (any recipe, but I used my own):

·       1 cup butter, softened

·       3/4 cup packed brown sugar

·       1/4 cup white sugar

·       1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

·       2 eggs

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·       2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

·       1 teaspoon baking soda

·       2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.