These rich, fudgy brownie cookies are filled with mini marshmallows and homemade pralines. They are decadence meets nostalgia in the best possible way.
Pecan Brittle is so simple to make with only a few ingredients that you most likely already have on hand. They add not only amazing texture to these cookies but also a depth of flavor that pairs perfectly with the richness of these brownie-like cookies.
The pecan brittle is cooked on the stovetop in a medium sized saucepan. It only takes around 6 to 8 minutes to cook on medium heat. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the sugar from burning at the bottom. Funny that it is called brittle because it is much more resilient unlike traditional caramel where you don’t want to agitate the sugar to prevent crystallization. That will not happen here. The mixture will start to become thick and coat the pecans. The pecans will also start to toast from the heat of the sugar and will make your house smell absolutely divine. Once the brittle is ready pour onto a prepared sheet pan and allow to cool completely. I like to break mine up into different shapes to give the cookies more dimension.
The cookie base is made with simple ingredients and lots of chocolate. Now you might have to dirty a few more dishes than a traditional cookie dough, but these cookies are really special and boy oh boy is it worth it!
Whip the eggs and sugar together until they reach ribbon stage. This is probably the most important step in making these cookies. This is what gives these cookies their brownie like texture. If you skip this step, you will end up with very dense inedible cookies. After you reach ribbon stage you want to gently fold in the rest of your ingredients in different stages. Making sure you are being very gentle and not deflating the beautiful air we just whipped up.
When the cookie dough is ready it will look a lot like brownie batter so you want to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes, this will help bring everything together so you can scoop or spoon out your cookies easily and evenly onto a prepared cookie sheet. You can make this cookie dough ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, just make sure to take it out at least 30 minutes before baking so your cookie dough can come to room temperature, and you are able to scoop them out easily.
When the cookies are done, I like to place the rest of the pecan pieces and mini marshmallows to the tops of the cookies. I like to put them on when the cookies are still slightly warm from the oven, this will help the toppings to sort of melt into the cookies and help them to stick on when the cookies are completely cooled. If you add them on when the cookies are too cool, then they will just slide right off. These cookies are hands down some of the best cookies I have ever made! Just look at all of that ooey gooey deliciousness.
Ingredients
Pecan Brittle
6 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cups Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Whole Pecans
1 teaspoons Vanilla
Rocky Road Brownie Cookies
1 Stick Butter
6 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1/4 teaspoons Espresso Powder
1/3 cups Cocoa Powder
2/3 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoons Salt
2 Eggs
1 Egg Yolk
1 cup Vegan Mini Marshmallows
Directions
Pecan Brittle
In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and pecans. Put on medium heat and boil for 6-7 minutes.
In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, and pecans and cook on medium heat. Bring mixture to a low boil, stirring periodically to make sure the mixture is cooking evenly. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, you will know when they are done when the pecans start to smell toasty. Pour onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely. Once cooled, break the pecan brittle into bite sized chunks. Feel free to make them as big or small as you like, I like to break them up into different sizes, that way every bite is a different experience.
Rocky Road Brownie Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside until ready to use.
Combine the butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a medium bowl and place bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Making sure the bowl is not touching the water as this may make the chocolate seize. Gently stir until chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Remove from simmering water, set aside, and let cool gently.
In a bowl of a stand mixer combine both sugars, eggs, vanilla, and espresso powder. Using the whisk attachment whisk this mixture together on medium speed for about 5 to 6 minutes or until the mixture has become pale and thick. We are looking for ribbon stage, that is when you lift the whisk the mixture should fall like a ribbon into itself and briefly hold its shape before disappearing. This step is very crucial because this is how you achieve a brownie like texture in these cookies. Once your mixture is at ribbon stage, add in your cooled butter and chocolate mixture, mix until combined and set aside. In separate bowl combine the flour and cocoa powder and gently fold into the egg mixture until just combined. Once combined stir 1 cup of pecan brittle pieces and 1 cup of vegan mini marshmallows. Set cookie dough in refrigerator and let chill at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. This batter is very loose and
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a no. 16 ice cream scoop (which is equivalent to 4oz or 1/2 cup) scoop the cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Make sure to space your cookies at least 2″ apart because they will spread while baking in the oven. I put 8 cookies per pan.
Bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes. The cookies will look slightly underbaked when you pull them out of the oven. Do not worry, they will continue to cook from the residual heat from the cookie sheet. Pulling them out slightly early allows for you to achieve a chewy brownie like texture when they are cooled.
Allow your cookies to cool slightly and then place the remaining pecan brittle pieces on the tops of each cookie, along with more of the mini marshmallows if desired. Not only does this step add dimension of flavor and texture, but it also makes the cookies more ascetically pleasing to the eyes. Allow your cookies to cool completely before eating. these cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but nothing beats a fresh warm gooey cookie.
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