Description
Cosmic Brownie Cookies are rich, fudgy chocolate cookies topped with a silky dark chocolate ganache and colorful mini rainbow candy-coated chips, creating a perfect combination of intense cocoa flavor and fun, crunchy texture. These cookies are soft and puffy with a decadent finish, ideal for chocolate lovers looking for a delightful, visually appealing treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (270 g)
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp Dutch processed cocoa powder (67 g)
- ½ tsp espresso powder (optional but recommended)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt (or ¼ tsp salt if using salted butter)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (227 g, room temperature 65-67°F)
- 1 cup white sugar (200 g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (110 g)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Ganache & Topping
- 4 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate (high quality baking chocolate preferred)
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- Mini rainbow candy-coated chips for topping (or rainbow sprinkles)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking the cookies.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder to evenly combine all dry components.
- Cream butter and sugars: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This gives your cookies a tender texture.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract until fully incorporated into the batter.
- Combine wet and dry: Gradually add the flour mixture in thirds to the wet ingredients, mixing gently after each addition. Avoid overmixing to keep cookies tender.
- Shape and bake cookies: Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 7-10 minutes until edges are set and tops are puffy (8 minutes is ideal).
- Shape cookies (optional): When removed from the oven, use a biscuit or cookie cutter to nudge the warm cookies into neat circles for a uniform look. Let them cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack completely cool.
- Prepare ganache: Chop the dark chocolate finely and place in a small bowl. Heat heavy cream in the microwave in 20-second bursts until hot but not boiling, about 40 seconds.
- Combine ganache ingredients: Pour the warm cream over chocolate and let sit for a few minutes. Stir until smooth, reheating briefly if needed to melt all chocolate.
- Top cookies: Spoon approximately ¾ teaspoon of ganache onto each cooled cookie and spread gently. Immediately sprinkle mini rainbow candy-coated chips on top before ganache sets.
- Set and serve: Allow the cookies to sit for about 1 hour for the ganache to firm up, or enjoy immediately for a gooey texture.
Notes
- Using espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Room temperature ingredients help in better mixing and texture development.
- Do not overmix the dough once flour is added to keep cookies tender and soft.
- Chilling the dough is not necessary but can improve flavor and control spread if time permits.
- The ganache can be made with semi-sweet or dark chocolate depending on your sweetness preference.
- For gluten-free variation, substitute the flour with a gluten-free all-purpose blend 1:1.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
