If you happened to read my last post for porn star martini cheesecake squares, then you will know that the time finally arrived to celebrate my last weekend before moving to France for another ski season. I will admit now that my decision to try these particular bakes was purely coincidental and by no means a representation of any mood apart from the constant desire to stuff my face with sugar. But I have to admit both bakes certainly did the trick.
For some reason I seem to have had a slight obsession of cookies and brownies on my Instagram lately, and for some reason the craving seems to be slightly insatiable. Hence my decision to combine them both! Not only did they fit the criteria of being simple enough to fit into the time I actually have left, but it still gave me the chance to try a bake that is in some ways new. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept of slutty brownies (or simply have not lived) I’ll break it down for you. First you have a deliciously gooey layer of cookie that is certainly good enough for the cookie monster. You then top this with a number of Oreos that is frankly unnecessary but at the same time so unbelievably necessary, and then finish with a layer of oozey rich chocolate brownie *cue the drool and a round of applause for the first attempt to use what people think I learnt during my English degree*.
You may have heard the old saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but I decided to try anyway by making my own adaptations to a recipe that is probably quite perfect just the way it is. The credit for the original recipe I pinched and could have destroyed goes to a blog called What’s Gaby Cooking? While the Oreo layer remained the same, I replaced the dark chocolate chips in the cookie dough for white and substituted the brownie layer for my own blondie version, because apparently in my head it wasn’t sweet enough! I may have also added in a sneaky layer of marzipan (which totally wasn’t leftover from the raspberry and rose French fancies I made a few posts ago), but why not try and get at least a little bit into the Christmas spirit?
Luckily when I say ‘could have destroyed’, I can breathe a sigh of relief when I tell you that the emphasis lies on the ‘could have’ and that my baking reputation is still miraculously in tact. While they are definitely on the sweet side, the layers all come together really nicely. The Oreo in particular breaks through really nicely to add a hint of richness, and occasionally you get a real hit of the marzipan which I think provides another depth to the bake. All in all I was pretty happy. They might not have been the easiest to but, but I can quite easily scoff away at them and not even feel an ounce of guilt. Sod L’Oréal (or whoever) these little sluts are worth it!
Again this recipe is very easy to play about with so I would encourage it. I would take into consideration, however, how much liquid you add as this will obviously effect the texture of each layer. But, either way, I hope you enjoy!
Double Chocolate and Almond Slutty Blondies (makes approx. 20 blondies)
For the Cookie Layer:
- 115g unsalted butter
- 50g brown sugar
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
- 160g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 100g white chocolate chips
For the fillings:
- 250g marzipan
- Approx. 250g Oreos
For the Brownie Layer:
- 100g white chocolate
- 110g butter
- 2 eggs
- 150g caster sugar
- 80g flour
- 100g milk chocolate chips
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180C/ 160C Fan.
- For the cookie layer cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Mix in the egg and the vanilla, and then add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Keep mixing until a dough starts to form, then add the chocolate chips. Continue to mix until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Press the cookie dough down into a baking tray lined with tin foil and pop in the fridge.
- Dust a clean bench with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan so it fits the size of the baking tin. Lay the marzipan on top of the cookie dough and then top with a single layer of Oreos. Return to the fridge while you make the blondie.
- For the blondie melt the white chocolate and the butter over a bain marie and leave to cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs and the sugar until it becomes light and thick, then add the melted white chocolate mix and stir together. Sift in the flour and gently fold until is it all incorporated. Repeat the step with the chocolate chips.
- Pour the blondie mix over the Oreos and bake in the oven for around 40-45 minutes. Keep turning to stop one side from browning more than the others, and once evenly golden test with a skewer. Leave for at least 2 hours to cool before slicing into squares.
Cakehole Bakes - Newcastle upon Tyne 