Cheater Cookie Butter Button Brownies

Two weekends ago, Aaron and I decided it would be a good idea to drive nearly four hours each way to Austin on dirt roads to spend five hours there on a dreary day…on a Sunday. Basically it was cold and very few things were open. The trip included a walk though of the Whole Foods Flagship store, the LBJ presidential library, and the best part…Trader Joe’s. You should know by now that I love Trader Jo’s, but they don’t exist here in West Texas. So Austin’s new store is the closest there is. I was very excited to get the pantry items I missed so much.

Brownie mix, Thai chili paste, $5 wine. You know, the essentials. So when I finally have in a bought a jar of the infamous cookie butter, I knew I had to do more than eat it with a spoon....at least in addition to that. That’s where brownies came in.

My high school friend said anything out of a box was cheating. As in cheater cookies or cheater brownies. My response was always, "I'm baking for you, stop complaining."

On that note this is as true of a “ cheater college recipe” as you've ever seen it. And it's amazing.

This is based in a recipe for real brownies with cookie butter so if that is more appealing, than all means, be my guest. But when my husband informs me we were invited to 6pm barbecue at noon, I decided to get creative....and cheat. Cookie butter brownies were born and they were a hit. So if you are short on time and what something that'll impress everyone, these babies are the answer.

Cheater Cookie Butter Button Brownies

Makes 24 bite sized brownies

(Adapted from Baker Girl)

Ingredients:

1 box, Trader Joe’s Brownie Truffle Baking Mix (16 oz.)

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (6 oz.)

2 large eggs

½ cup Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Butter or Biscoff spread

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. unsalted melted butter

extra butter for greasing 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cookie butter, powdered sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl, until well combined and the consistency of cookie batter.

Roll cookie butter batter into balls about ¾ inch thick, making about 24 balls. Place balls on a parchment  lined baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes. Transfer to the fridge until ready to bake brownies.

Grease a 8x11x2 baking dish with extra butter, up the sides and all over the bottom.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan, stirring often and brown butter until it smells nutty then immediately take off heat and transfer to a heat safe bowl. Cool slightly before using.

In a large bowl combine butter and eggs until creamy. While mixing stir in brownie mix a little at a time into just combined.

Pour wet brownie mix into the prepared pan in a smooth layer. Carefully press cookie balls into the brownie mix, evenly four in a row and six across so balls are still sticking out of the batter but haven’t touched the bottom of pan.

Bake pan for 20-25 minutes until brownie batter has risen to the level of the balls and is set in the center when tested with toothpick.

Allow brownies to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Once brownies are cooled cut into bite sized squares around each cookie ball.

Enjoy!