To those of you without a sweet tooth (Finn, I’m looking at you), I’m so, so sorry. You picked the short straw in the draw for tastebuds. Life must be so bland and grey – what’s it like to feel nothing when face-to-face with a bowl of chewy, chocolatey goodness? The light and fluffy texture of sweet whipped cream? The heavenly crunch of cookies and icing?
While I do love all things savoury, I’m definitely all about the sweet. There’s nothing quite like the joy that comes from biting into a warm, fresh-outta-the-oven, chocolate brownie. Or cookie. Or muffin. Or cupcake. (You get the idea). Sugar and chocolate, you never let me down.
Especially on a Monday. Is there any better way to beat the Monday Blues?
I don’t when or how exactly my sweet tooth started, but I must have been pretty young. I was obsessed with Dunkaroos as a kid (who wasn’t), tossing the cookies and just scooping out the icing with my finger like a barbarian. It was awesome.
Fast forward 20 years and I’m a little more responsible with my sugar intake, although if you were to give me a pack of Dunkaroos I’d probably still eat them like I did back then. For nostalgia’s sake, of course.
These brownies satisfy my inner 5-year-old as well as my fully respectable 26-year-old self. I’m not sure which is better, the crunchy-on-top, chewy-in-the-centre chocolate brownies that melt in your mouth with every bite, or the whipped cream topping mixed with mascarpone cheese and crumbled up Oreos. Put the two together and it’s guaranteed bliss.
The idea for this whipped topping came from Matt, surprisingly enough. Running a food blog means I need to have a rotating list of Things I Want to Make, and since I live with someone who gets to eat all the results, you’d think I’d be bombarded with suggestions 24/7. Not so. I always ask “what should I make this week?” and he always answers “I dunno. Something yummy.”
Great, thanks hun.
Matt’s working on the set of a TV show right now, which means he works 14-hour days and never eats at home. They actually feed him all his meals on set – the caterers sound incredible – and he comes home listing all the amazing things he ate that day.
Matt: “Dinner tonight was braised lamb shank and buttery fresh crab with bacon-wrapped scallops. Oh and breakfast was smoked salmon eggs benny with fresh orange juice squeezed by the delicate hand of a child in a small, local orchard.”
Me: “I had a box of Kraft Dinner and ate it out of the pot like an adult.”
To his credit, though, he will occasionally list something that sparks an idea and ends up on this blog. This whipped topping was one of those suggestions.
Mascarpone cheese is used in tiramisu, so you know it’s going to be delicious. When blended into whipped cream it’s similar in taste to a cream cheese frosting, but a little lighter and a little tangier. The addition of Oreos turn it into a perfect mix of cookies & cream. This topping could be used on any dessert: brownies, cookies, pie, and the consistency is thick enough to be used as frosting for cupcakes. Yum!
Can someone get me a spoon? Nevermind, I’ll just use my finger in pure, Dunkaroos-style fashion.
| Chewy Chocolate Brownies with a Whipped Cookies & Cream & Mascarpone Topping | Print |
- Brownies:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
- ⅔ cups cocoa powder
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- .
- Topping:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- Icing sugar, to taste
- 8 Oreos, finely crumbled
- Preheat oven to 325°. Line an 8-inch square baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in cocoa powder and sugar and mix until well blended and the mixture resembles wet sand. Remove pan from heat; set aside.
- Mix coffee powder in 1 tsp water to dissolve it. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the eggs, coffee, and vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared baking pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sides begin to pull away from the sides of the pan but the middle is still soft. Be sure not to overbake! Let cool in the pan completely, then remove by lifting the sides of the parchment paper. Cut into 12 squares; set aside.
- To make the filling, beat heavy cream on medium speed in a large mixing bowl until thick. Add in mascarpone and beat until thick peaks form. Add icing sugar 1 tsp at a time, mixing gently, until desired sweetness. Fold in Oreos; mix well. Scoop a dollop of the whipped cream mixture over brownies and serve immediately.
Beauty! I’m looking forward to trying this
Thanks Heghineh! Let me know what you think of them!
Thank you ,I will try to do it.
I have never tried cooking , These cookies looks awesome!
Question. Can the topping be frozen?