Brownie Treat Covers Bases

Nikki Honda, Sports Editor

Anyone who knows me knows that I am indecisive.  I can never make decisions. Fortunately, extravagant brownies are the perfect recipe for indecisive people.

Last year in spanish class we had to give demonstrations. One girl in the class decided to do her presentation on how to make extravagant brownies. At the end of her presentation, she surprised the class by giving us each a brownie to eat. They were very popular treats.

A year later, I found myself being indecisive about what to bake. I came back to these brownies and looked up a recipe online. I made them for a class and some friends, and they were a hit.

Although these brownies can be messy, they are easy to pack and perfect for bake sales, birthdays, or even just to have around the house. They are composed of a bottom layer of chocolate chip cookie. On top of the cookie lies a layer of Oreo cookies, and on top of that is a layer of brownie mix. The whole process takes an hour, including both prep and cook time.

For the chocolate chip cookie dough:

1 stick of unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.

For the Oreos:

1 package of Oreo cookies

For the brownie mix:

Either an 18 oz box of brownie mix, prepared and unbaked (I like to use Ghiradelli’s triple chocolate chip) OR

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

-Mix these ingredients together and set aside.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Then, spray a 13″ by 9″ glass pan with baking spray.

Once each individual layer is prepared, it is time to assemble the extravagant brownies. Start by putting the cookie dough in the pan and then pressing it evenly across the bottom and slightly up the sides (about 1/4 of an inch higher.) Then, add a layer of Oreos over the cookie dough, placing them as close to each other as possible but making sure they do not overlap. Finally, pour the brownie mix over the Oreos and cookie dough, making sure the batter fills in the empty holes that the Oreos create. Bake for 35 minutes and test with a toothpick to ensure cooking is complete. Allow them to cool before cutting or removing from pan.