Vegan Chocolate Chip Brookies Recipe by Freya Cox

Sometimes all you want in life is a cookie and a brownie at the same time. The chewy cookie base and soft fudgy brownie top are made for each other. This delicious recipe is by Freya Cox from her new cookbook, Simply Vegan Baking.

Ingredients (makes 9 Brookies)

For the cookie base
120g (4¼oz) vegan butter, plus extra for greasing
100g (3½oz) soft light brown sugar
120g (4¼oz) caster (granulated) sugar
½ tsp salt
50ml (1¾fl oz) plant milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g (7¾oz) self-raising flour
150g (5½oz) vegan chocolate chunks

For the brownie top
200g (7oz) vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
140g (5oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
40g (1½oz) cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
200g (7oz) caster (granulated) sugar
80ml (2½fl oz) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
240ml (8fl oz) plant milk
75g (2½oz) vegan chocolate chunks

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (315ºF) fan. Grease a 20cm (8 inch) square brownie tin with butter and line with baking parchment.
2. For the cookie base, put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one – or into a large mixing bowl if you are using an electric hand whisk – and beat together until light in colour and fluffy.
3. Add the salt, plant milk and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the flour and mix again until a smooth cookie dough forms. Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks. Tip the cookie dough into the lined tin and flatten down evenly to cover the base. Place in the freezer whilst making the brownie batter.
4. For the brownie layer, place the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt either in the microwave in 30 second increments, or over a pan of gently simmering water.
5. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and caster sugar. Add the oil, vanilla and plant milk to the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Pour in the melted chocolate and thoroughly combine, then fold in the chocolate chunks.
6. Take the cookie dough out of the freezer and pour the brownie batter over the base. Level out with a spatula.
7. Bake for 45 minutes until you have a nice shiny top. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes until the tin is cool enough to touch. Then remove the brookies from the tin and place in the fridge to cool completely before slicing into nine squares. Enjoy!

Freya’s Baking Tip
These brookies require a slightly longer bake than other recipes, but be patient as they are worth the wait.