Snickerbrookies: Fudge Brownie Snickerdoodle Bars

When it comes to brownies, there are two camps: Edges vs. Middles. Most people fall into one or the other. If you don’t, I admire your adaptability.

I am firmly entrenched in the Middles camp. While the edges have their admirable qualities, nothing outweighs the soft and fudgy, even sometimes gooey, texture of the middles for me.

The Hubster knows this. He’s been the Hubster for over 11 years now…I’m a Middles girl. Even when it comes to other baked goods, like biscuits.

Yet, when he left for work with a batch of these snickerbrookie brownies to share with his co-workers, he made a fatal error.

He took my plated middles.

He’s just lucky that these are so amazing, that I was able to look past the fact that I was left with only edges.

Also, I can totally make a whole bunch more for my middles. Cause they’re so easy. And cause yum.

To make a snickerdoodle a snickerdoodle, you gotta have the cinnamon-sugary goodness on the outside. Since these cookies were actually going to be bars, and are actually the bottom part of the brownies, there was no real way to roll them around in a cinnamon-sugar coating, so instead I added it in two ways.

After mixing the cinnamon and sugar together thoroughly, I pressed half of the snickerdoodle cookie dough into my baking pan, then I sprinkled half of the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the top. Next, I pressed the remaining cookie dough on top, gently spreading it to the edges, and sprinkled the remaining cinnamon-sugar evenly over it.

This technique really gave the cookie portion of these brookies a wonderful sweet and spicy flavor, just like a snickerdoodle should have.

Plus, look how pretty that little line of goodness looks in the finished brookies. I cinnamony swirl in the middle of dessert is always irresistible.

Always.

I contemplated whether or not to frost these, and I was very tempted to cover them in a fluffy cinnamon buttercream, but they were so delicious and fudgy and perfect as-is, I decided all they really needed was a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar to pretty them up. If you want to go for some frosting on these, I’m positive it would be fantastic, but if not, then no worries…these stand up wonderfully on their own. Plus, less work. Win-win.

Enjoy!

Snickerbrookies: Fudge Brownie Snickerdoodle Bars
Makes 1 9×13-inch pan

**I baked my snickerbrookies in a dark metal baking pan, which bakes slightly faster than light aluminum or glass pans. Adjust baking times accordingly.

Ingredients

FOR THE SNICKERDOODLE BARS
2 1/2 cups (318 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (6 grams) packed brown sugar
3 eggs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar for filling
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon for filling

FOR THE BROWNIES
1 cup (100 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter
2 cup (400 grams) sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract

To make the snickerdoodles: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and shortening. Beat in 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until well combined. Scrape your bowl bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each until well combined. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined then add the remaining flour mixture. Continue beating until everything is incorporated.

Combine 3 tablespoons sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon for the coating.

Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the top. Gently spread and press the remaining cookie dough over the cinnamon-sugar. If some areas are thinner, or even tear a bit, it’s okay. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture ove the top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are just browning and center is sunken, but still a little puffy.

To make the brownies: While the cookies are baking, prepare the brownie batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Whisk in the dry ingredients until combined and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

When you remove the snickerdoodle bars from the oven, immediately pour the brownie batter over the top, spreading it to the edges to cover the snickerdoodles completely.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Recipe by Darla