Okay, so a dish that might not seem perfect for Valentines/Galentines are brownie sandwich cookies, but these puppies involve brownies in cookie form and a raspberry buttercream that balances out that chocolate center. Have you used freeze dried fruits in your baking yet friends?

Why you'll love this

Brownie cookies

So those cookies are lightly fudgy in the center and full of chocolate flavor and stand on their own perfectly!

Raspberry buttercream

That buttercream is sweet and full of raspberry flavor to compliment the brownie cookies beautifully!

Ingredients and substitutions for Brownie Cookies

Butter: Butter helps create that silky texture we love about brownies whilst also helping them rise. Softened butter also helps give us a soft buttercream for the center of our sandwich cookies. You could sub with non dairy butter, though I have not tried this. I do not recommend subbing oil in equal measure as it will likely make your brownies denser.
Brown sugar: The brown sugar helps to make the brownies fudgy, however, you could substitute in equal measure with superfine or caster sugar which will result in a chewier final brownie. This also helps give your topping a caramelized flavor that wouldn’t be the same with superfine or caster sugar.
Eggs: As well as adding structure to the brownies, the eggs bind everything together so are essential. You could substitute with vegan ingredients such as chia eggs or apple sauce, however, they have not been tested so might impact the dense texture of both the brownie base and will absolutely not bind that pecan topping which will not set without that egg.
Plain flour: Plain flour or all purpose is best here because it helps give the brownies their texture without making them cakey or firm like bread if you use cake or bread flour. You also don’t want to overwork the dough, because you don't want to create stiff brownies. Only mix your dry ingredients through until you can see no more dry portions in your bowl.
Salt: Without salt the chocolate flavors will be dull so it is essential to adding dimension to the brownies. Sea salt is best here, but rock or kosher salt also works well.
Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient here so you’ll want a nice high quality cocoa powder for a truly chocolate packed flavor. I do not recommend substituting melted chocolate in equal measure here as this can be quite dense, however, chocolate chips or chunks would work well here.
Freeze dried raspberries: The fine freeze dried raspberries add a beautiful color and subtle flavor to that buttercream.
Raspberry jam: The pop of color and pieces of raspberries will make our buttercream full of this beloved berry’s flavor.

Equipment needed to make this

Greaseproof paper: Lining your tray will make sliding off your baked cookies a breeze!

Small saucepan: For your browned butter, you’ll need a saucepan to caramelize.

Sieve: Sifting the cocoa powder helps ensure your brownie batter is smooth without any lumps.

Whisk: It’s easiest to make your brownie with a large whisk to create a smooth batter.

Mixing bowl: A medium mixing bowl is needed for the brownie cookies and buttercream.

Hand or stand mixer: To whip the cream cheese and cream, though this can be done by hand.

Scoop: The size of the scoop used here is 4cm or 1.57 inches to create the perfect small scoop. If you don’t have one this size a great substitute would be a tablespoon which would create a similar sized cookie.

FAQ's for the best Brownie Cookies

How much plain butter do I need to make brown butter?

With moisture loss in the browning butter process, 230 grams of plain unsalted butter will give you the 180 grams of brown butter needed for these brownies.

What should I do with whole freeze dried raspberries?

If you have freeze dried raspberries, but it's not a powder, you can blend it to a fine powder with or without your sugar to make it a nice smooth mixture.

More sandwich cookies you’ll enjoy

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Coffee Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Filling

Pistachio Shortbread with Black Tahini Filling

How to make:

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tin with greaseproof paper.

Place your eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until pale.

Pour in your melted brown butter and whisk to combine until smooth.

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and add the salt.

Whisk until just combined and no dry portions remain in your bowl.

Scoop and level the cookie dough and place onto your baking tray, leaving 2 inches between each cookie and sprinkle a tiny pince of sea salt on top of each.

Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool on your baking tray for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling tray.

Continue with the remaining cookie dough until all cookies have been baked.

Allow to cool fully.

Stir the sugar and freeze dried raspberry powder together and set aside.

To make the buttercream filling, place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.

Add in the raspberry jam and beat until just combined.

Spoon your buttercream into a piping bag and pipe into the center of one cookie and piping in a circle towards the outer edges, placing a second cookie on top to sandwich together.

Repeat with the remaining buttercream until your sandwich cookies are complete.

Serve alongside your favorite hot beverage.

Enjoy!