Chocolate Chip Brownie Double Decker

This recipe mixes a brownie batter with a chocolate chip batter that combine to create bar cookies that offer the best of both.

Ingredients
Shortening or butter for greasing pan

Chocolate Chip Layer:
12 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Brownie Layer:
12 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 6 equal pieces
3/4 C. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
1 1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 C. all-purpose flour

Directions
Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan.

To begin the chocolate chip layer: In a medium saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Slide the pan from the heat and add the brown sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Set the butter mix aside to cool while making the brownie layer.

To make the brownie layer: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Slide the pan from the heat and add the cocoa powder. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition just until blended. Whisk in the vanilla with the second egg. Sprinkle the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until the ingredients are blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly with an offset or rubber spatula. Set it aside while you finish the chocolate chip layer.

To finish the chocolate chip layer: In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk until it's well-blended. Once the butter mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla to it and whisk until blended. Pour in the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until the ingredients are blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough over the brownie batter in large scoops and spread it evenly with an offset or rubber spatula. Bake until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out with small, gooey clumps of brownie sticking to it, about 40 minutes. Don't over-bake or the brownies won't be fudgy. Transfer the baking pan to a rack to cool completely.

Using a bench scraper or a knife, cut the brownies into small squares measuring about 2 inches each. The cooler the double-deckers are, the cleaner the cutting will be, but these fudgy treats will always leave some sticky crumbs on the knife.

Note: After baking, cooling and cutting into squares, these can be frozen up to 1 month. There's almost no thawing necessary - about 20 minutes - because these brownies are delicious even when partially frozen.