This is my cousin Ashley.  She is beautiful and so nice.  I love to hear her stories.  Her son's name is Jensen...he could not be any cuter.  She's having another baby.  I am so excited for her and the Dr. 


This is Todd and Kim.  He is my cousin and I'm lucky to have inherited Kim as my cousin too.  Todd is a personal trainer and they are both on the cusp of being vegan.  Such happy newlyweds.


This is my cousin Brooke.  I love her.  I don't think she realizes how beautiful she is.  She just had a baby boy named Bennett.  Brooke tells the best stories.  She and her family just moved to California and I'm going through withdrawals.  I'm going to miss her like crazy...but I hope the best for her and her family.

In her honor I made Brookies (part brownie, part cookie).  I gave them to her to eat on their long drive to California.

First you make a brownie.  These are my favorite:

Deluxe Brownies
*Betty Crocker's Cookbook

2/3 cup butter
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease square pan, 9x9x2.  Heat butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted; cool slightly.  Beat sugar, vanilla and eggs on high speed 5 minutes (very important step).  Beat in chocolate mixture on low speed.  Beat in flour just until blended.  Stir in nuts.  Spread in pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan; cool.  Cut into squares.


Then make your favorite cookies.  These are my favorite:

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
*My all time favorite

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
1 pkg 12 oz. chocolate chips (2 cups)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff.) Stir in nuts and
chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased
cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.

Brookies amendment: Make the brownies, pour in 9X13 inch greased pan.  Drop cookie dough onto brownie batter in large or small chunks.  Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes or until brownie pulls away from sides of pan.  Let Brookies cool completely before cutting.  Enjoy!

Labels: chocolate cookies dessert

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