200th post! Cosmic Brownie Bars

Pinterest has become my new source of delicious recipes and healthy living. But every now and then you come across something that is way more than delicious and no where near healthy living! This recipe is for something that falls into the latter category. And you'll see why!

I originally found this idea via Amanda's recipe at KevinandAmanda.com and I am sure if you spend any amount of time on the "Everything" Pinterest page, you have seen this too! It is most definitely a special occasion recipe and we recently made it for Halloween! If you compare both recipes, you'll notice my recipe has a few added ingredients and changes.

These pictures were from the third time we made them in honor of our 200th post and a long distance celebration of Elly's first birthday! did not get a photo of the finished, frosted project. There are step by step photos at the bottom of this post. The photo of the finished cookie brownie bar stack with ice cream is from Kevin and Amanda's recipe post.

Cosmic Brownie Bars
ingredients:

• family sized box of brownies for 9x13in pan and the eggs and oil needed
  
• double stuffed Oreos
• chocolate syrup
• chocolate frosting
  

Cookie:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) milk chocolate morsels

procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking dish with wax paper and cooking spray.
   
2. Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.
3. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of the 9x13 lined dish. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the cookie dough. Place a single layer of Oreos on top of the cookie dough.
   
4. In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the brownies as directed on the box. Add in 4 tbs of chocolate syrup to the brownie batter.
   
5. Pour batter over the Oreos and cookie dough. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
   
6. Optional: After baking, let cool and frost the brownie layer with a canister of your favorite chocolate frosting!

Step by step photos:

Mixing up the cookie dough. Yep, that's right, I do it all by hand!
Make sure the butter gets incorporated completely. Or it looks are swirly and won't cover the bottom of the dish properly. Also, if there is too much incorporated butter in one spot, the cookie layer will not set up and crumble under the other two layers.
Lining all the Oreos up on the cookie dough. I forgot to drizzle the chocolate on before adding the cookies, so I did it before adding the brownie batter.
On trick I have learned for making great brownies from a box is to mix the eggs, oil and water together. I used a large glass measuring cup added the water and oil and whisked it together. Then I mixed in the eggs. It looks a little stomach turning, but it breaks up the thick mass of egg whites.
Smothering those cookies with rich chocolately brownie batter.
Lastly, this what it looks like going into the oven.