twd: chipster topped brownies

Brownies and chocolate chip cookies seem to be pure Americana--those ubiquitous desserts that appear at every potluck, bake sale, or meeting I've attended. Imagine combining the two into one dessert--essentially a cookie topped brownie! An instant crowd pleaser! A chocolate extravaganza!

I was curious to see how these flavors would marry, and how the textures would balance. I decided to bake them Sunday night, not sure who I would share them with, but a post-parade social with B and her son M, and an impromptu Memorial day cookout at K and C's house, proved to be the perfect Americana events for these bars.

Usually I'm in Michigan for the Memorial Day holiday, going to the parade with my parents, and then sitting on the porch drinking iced tea and chatting and/or reading most of the afternoon. This year, I stayed in Wisconsin and attempted to organize the chaos a bit. I heard talk of a big Memorial Day parade and decided to check it out. With an East wind blowing across the still frigid lake, I walked West towards the parade route. I met up with some friends and settled in with my travel mug of coffee.

This parade was similar to my hometown parade in the array of veterans, fire, and police officers. There were fewer marching bands (the Catholic middle school band closing down the parade with a half-hearted version of Europe's "The Final Countdown"), more motorcycles, and a bevy of Lutherans. Miss M- County, a former student, and the Mayor, also a former student, waved. I scared off an overzealous Senate candidate of different political persuasion by flashing my Obama 08 tee-shirt. I ignored the TEA protesters, and received coupons from girl scouts.

B, M, and I walked back to my house where I served them the chipster topped brownies and chocolate ice cream, all before lunch. They were delicious, but I was still so chilled from the parade I couldn't thoroughly enjoy them. After a lazy afternoon of reading and trying to warm up, I brought a tray of the brownies to K and C's house for a little holiday cookout. We ate chips, drank beer, and chatted, while their son K swiped brownies without a word. I left the rest for them, and came home to brew decaf coffee and cut myself a tiny square.Twenty-four hours after the brownies were made, the layers have fully melded and it's difficult to tell where one chocolate ends and another begins. I like the contrast between the crisp cookie topping and the soft give of the brownie layer, and the overarching chocolateyness is, of course, wonderful.

These bars were fairly simply to make. I prepared the brownie layer using Blossom, and the cookie layer using my hand mixer. I took my time crafting this dessert, and felt somehow subversive about mixing up such classic Americana while listening to, nay, singing along with Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me" on my new Spring 2009 playlist.

Thanks to Beth of Supplicious for choosing this delicious, fun, and practical recipe. Not sure whether to make cookies or brownies for the next potluck? Now you can make both:)