Brownie + Cookie = LEAVE ME ALONE WHILE I'M EATING THIS

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Today is my birthday. And though there has been a wonderful outpouring of support on The Book and via text I am choosing to hunker down and pretend it's 1998. Tonight's viewing pleasure will be Meet Joe Black (someday Brad and Gwyneth will reunite) partnered with some leftover chili (one friend said I couldn't have the whole box of Mac and Cheese as planned) and then a 4AM trip to the airport to drop that same friend off to start his Spring Break Excursion 2012. The only missing element is the original Pepsi One. The kind with aspartame. Not with that evil step sister, Splenda.  

This morning with my birthday in mind I was craving brownies and cookies. In a moment of pure Frankenstein genius I remembered a conversation I had earlier in the week with my friend Brooke. We both were waxing poetic our love of brownies and cookies. Knowing I had the makings of both of these delicacies I got to work. Above you will see the bounty of my kitchen labor. Layers of chewy, fudge-like brownie enrobing my favorite chocolate chip cookie. One row of the pan is somehow missing.  

The Brookie (brownie meets cookie) was my gift to myself. 

I'm going to sign off now. In a few hours Just Joni will be calling to regale in the storytelling of my birth this fine evening many years ago. And I need to squeeze in a few Brookies before then. Brookie will catch on. Trust me.  

Toffee Cookies and The (dia)Betes

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As the temperature finally dropped below 90 today I thought what a better way to get back into the groove of cold weather than baking up some cookies! In the world of cookies I am very narrow minded and only like to make Chocolate Chip. I've tested what feels like millions of recipes and found one that is my favorite. However, I will from time to time step out of my cookie jar box and try a new version.

Last week I had to clean out the Frigidaire due to a mild power outage and made Toffee Crunch Cookies. Simply subbing out my first choice of milk chocolate chips with broken up toffee bar. Little did I know that they would be this seasons best seller. Both my boyfriend and my mother seemed rather sly in making sure they ate their share of the Toffee Crunch Cookies without the others knowledge. I was preparing myself for a Jets/Shark showdown for the last one. I'm pretty sure my mother slid the last two into her icebox...

Above is this weeks version of the Toffee Crunch cookie. This time I used milk chocolate covered toffee for that extra diabetic coma inducing touch all bakers strive for.

P.S. If my boyfriend is reading this he may want to pick up some milk for his cookies.