Guest Post: Cookies are Great, so Have a Brownie Recipe

Note: Given the overwhelmingly positive response to last week’s post by Danielle Athanas and because I’m in my last week of recovery, I thought this would be a great opportunity to let her have the floor one more time. Don’t worry, I’ll be back with new content starting next week – it may even be better now that I can breathe a little better for the first time in my life. Yay, sinus surgery!

Ah, yes… sugar cookies. The most “meh” expression of what a cookie is. Flavor, texture, and character are all defined by the beige color.

Once while walking through the mall, I took a deep breath and caught a whiff of that unmistakable scent: Mrs. Field’s Cookies. Or maybe it was a Jordan’s Furniture and the unmistakable scent was Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies. Or maybe it was a Market Basket and the unmistakable scent was the plastic cellophane wrapper of the package of Chips Ahoy.

Oh... hello! I didn’t see you there while I waxed reminiscent about meaningless chocolate chip cookies. It’s me again, your favorite Former First Lady of VMUG (or at least Steve’s favorite) guest posting on the blog this week. Last week after Steve shared my post, there were a few comments about the distinct lack of cooking instructions included in my prose. Steve is still healing from his surgery, so this week I offered my writing services again and decided that since my admiring fans have requested recipes – I would do so. After all, the way to an IT Professional’s heart is to teach them how to make their own treats right?

At this point I’m sure you’re wondering “Will Danielle skip all that nonsense where the writer of the blog rambles on and on about some Sicilian tour they took 20 years ago that inspired them to create this recipe in the confines of their tiny city kitchen?” and the answer is yes. I’ve never been to Sicily and I live in a cookie cutter New England Colonial with a medium-sized kitchen in somewhat rural suburbs that we only purchased 12 years ago. How could I possibly ramble on about a Sicilian tour from 20 years ago and my tiny city kitchen? Come on now. You’re going to get rambling about recipes that have been used and loved by our family of four in our suburban New England kitchen as well as enjoyed by the IT department at the university where Steve works.

Now you’re talking! Brown sugar, molasses, chocolate chips - chewy perfection. Way better than a sugar cookie.

Why has Steve’s IT department enjoyed treats made in my medium-sized suburban New England kitchen? Well, if you remember from my post last week, I mentioned that IT professionals often have to work long or emergency hours and don’t always get recognition for the hard work that they do when a crisis or stressful event occurs. One of the ways that I show support to my favorite IT professional and his team is by sharing my talents via baked goods. I’ll often bake a double batch of cookies and send half to the office with Steve to share with his team, or bake a tray of brownies and portion them out so Steve gets one in his lunch daily when things are at peak stress level. Since I love cooking and baking and I know that pretty much everyone enjoys a good sweet treat now and again – I'm happy to share my talents with the IT pros in my life to let them know how I admire how much they share theirs.

Now... here’s where I’m going to ask that you all indulge me as I’ve indulged at least a few of you on occasion and let me extoll the wonderfulness of my KitchenAid Pro 600 Stand Mixer. I will admit that I repressed the desire for one of these appliances for the better part of a decade, but when one appeared for my 40th birthday I was far from disappointed. It has whipped up countless batches of cookies, stirred cake batter into existence, and kneaded loaves of bread far better than my mildly strong arms could ever have the patience to do. One of the most common things that I use it for is our biweekly pizza nights, where I whip up our dough quickly and effortlessly. When it comes to pizza, I use a recipe that I’ve used for years from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook – but that’s not what makes the dough so special. No, what makes the dough awesome in my opinion is the 00 Pizza Flour from King Arthur Flour. It adds an extra level of fluffiness to the dough that I can only assume comes from it being ground a bit finer. Or fluffier.

If our mixer was any bigger, it would be that freestanding model they use at the Entemann’s bakery.

It has never once voluntarily made sugar cookies.

(No sponsorships from KitchenAid or King Arthur were received in the writing of this post. Unfortunately. Though I’d take some swag from them, if I’m honest.)

At any rate, I started off this post talking about chocolate chip cookies and wound up babbling about what I use my stand mixer for and giving you a hot tip about amazing pizza flour. Your patience if you’ve read to this point instead of scrolling to the end to see if there’s a recipe (there is) is admirable. If you continue reading, maybe there will be one of those hidden links to something amazing that you’ll only find if you look hard enough. I didn’t put it where it says “hidden links”, so don’t try to hover over those words. Now... where was I...

Right. Cookies.

Sometime in 2018, Steve found this really cool YouTube channel called “Binging with Babish”. Essentially, this guy Andrew Rea recreates or creates dishes he sees in TV shows into these delicious recipes that he then shares on his website for you to access without watching a video and taking notes. He’s since expanded out; he’s rebranded the YouTube channel to “Babish Culinary Universe” which incorporates other cooks and their culinary endeavors, published a few cookbooks, and developed a line of kitchenware. I’ve tried out a couple of his recipes and they’ve been good, but the one that was a print-off-and-add-to-the-family-cookbook were his Basics Chocolate Chip Cookies. We call them “THE Cookies” in this house, and the trick is that Andrew browns the butter like he’s some sort of YouTube culinary genius or something. I’m telling you – make these cookies and you won’t regret it. Whenever I make these, I try to send a plate of them into work with Steve to share the cookie joy – none ever return back home.

(It’s there. In the words “Chocolate Chip Cookies” above. Click there.)

All right. If you’ve made it this far, I suppose I owe you a recipe. Maybe one that a happily married, dynamic duo that you know and love developed themselves through trial and error in their medium-sized, somewhat rural suburban kitchen in their cookie-cutter New England Colonial. Perhaps one that you can customize yourself by adding some toasted shredded coconut, slivered almonds, dark chocolate chips, or a cream cheese swirl.

Or if you’re daring... all of those things. And let me know how it goes because even I haven’t gone that crazy yet.

Without further nonsense rambling... here is the recipe for our very own Team Athanas Brownies.

No questions this week, just a brownie recipe. Enjoy.

TEAM ATHANAS BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour (or 1-1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup white granulated sugar

• 1 cup dark brown sugar

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

• 4 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract (or mint extract... or coconut extract... you decide)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350F.

• Lightly grease a 9x13” baking dish OR if you’re really awesome an all-edges brownie pan. (Steve’s note: buy this pan.)

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

• In a medium bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

• Mix until just combined and all ingredients are wet. Do not overmix or the brownies will turn out slightly cakier rather than chewy. (Note: if you are adding chocolate chips or other mix-ins, add ½ cup at this step while mixing.)

• Spread into prepared baking dish. You’ll need to physically spread – the batter is goopy.

• Sprinkle with toppings if desired.

• Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a couple of crumbs or clean. We do the “just a couple of crumbs” option because they’re chewier when they cool.

• Let cool in the pan at LEAST 10-15 minutes before cutting. If you cut too soon, they will crumble and fall apart rather than be a chewy, yummy brownie. (Steve’s note: They will still be yummy. There’s no shame in eating hot brownie with a spoon.)