Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe

Ingredients

• ¾ cup coconut oil or unsalted butter
• 7 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped fine
• 1¼ cups powdered erythritol
• 1 vanilla bean (about 6 inches long), seeds scraped clean and pod discarded, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 large eggs, separated

• 2 ounces cocoa butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped fine
• 0.33 cup powdered erythritol
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other extract, such as mint
• 0.12 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup powdered erythritol
• 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite
• 8 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• “Healthified” chocolate chunks (from above)
• ¼ cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Syrup, for drizzling (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch square brownie pan.
Make the Brownies
2. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then slowly add the chocolate. Continue to heat, stirring often, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the erythritol, vanilla bean seeds, almond extract, and salt. Let cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
3. While it is cooling, place the egg whites in a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Once the whites are stiff, slowly add the yolks while mixing on low speed.
4. Once the chocolate mixture is cooled a bit but still warm to the touch, add it to the egg mixture with the stand mixer on low. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the brownie begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool the brownie in the pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
5. While the brownie cools, make the chocolate chunks or chips: Place the cocoa butter and unsweetened baking chocolate in a double boiler and heat over medium-high heat until fully melted, about 5 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, heat in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave on high for 1 minute, then check. Continue heating for 30-second intervals until melted.) Stir in the erythritol, vanilla extract, and salt.
To Make into Chunks
6. Pour the melted chocolate into a truffle mold or 8-inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate is solid, about 1 hour in the fridge or 5 minutes in the freezer. Chop into chunks.
To Make into Chips
7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the melted chocolate in a small piping bag. Squeeze ¼ teaspoon of chocolate onto the parchment in a chocolate chip shape and repeat until you’ve used all the chocolate, keeping the chips about ⅛ inch apart. Chill in the fridge or freezer until the chocolate is solid, about 1 hour in the fridge or 5 minutes in the freezer.
Make the Frosting
8. In a saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until it turns brown, not black. Add the erythritol and stevia and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until well combined. Remove from the heat and, using a handheld mixer on low speed, mix in the mascarpone, almond milk, and salt until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool completely, about 15 minutes in the fridge (you don’t want the chocolate chips to melt), then stir in the “healthified” chocolate chunks or chips.
9. When the brownie has cooled completely, cut it into pieces and spread the frosting over the number of brownies you plan to serve. The brownies are best served at room temperature or slightly warm. For an extra-fancy presentation, drizzle with the chocolate syrup, if desired.
10. Store leftover frosting and brownies separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to serve, take the brownies out of the fridge and gently warm them in the microwave on medium heat for a few seconds or until the bottom is warm and gooey, then top with the frosting.