Cookies & Cream Brownies

Sometimes I lie awake at night just thinking about baked goods.  Specifically, everything about every sweet thing I love and how it could be translated into a brownie.  Because everything would taste better on a brownie.  Pecan pie brownie.  Praline brownie.  Coconut cheesecake brownie.  You get the idea.  Those seem a bit ambitious.  Cookies and cream brownies, on the other hand, can be done now.  First, you make brownies.  Done.  Next, smash Oreos in a plastic baggie.  Fun.  Then, make a milk glaze.  Easy.  Last, sprinkle on smashed Oreos.  Perfection. 

I used the cocoa brownie recipe for this, featured previously here, recipe from here.  I chose the cocoa brownie because it's a bit fudgier with a rich, dense chocolate flavor, which seemed better suited for an Oreo-inspired brownie.  I did cut the sugar by 1/4 cup, because I did not want the dessert to be overly sweet once the glaze and cookies were added. 

Once the brownies come out of the oven, set them aside to cool and make the glaze.  In a small saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of unsalted butter, 2 Tbs of half & half, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Whisk until the glaze is smooth and barely bubbling.

Immediately pour the glaze over the brownies and smooth into the corners to evenly coat the brownies.  Then sprinkle on the crushed Oreos.  Let them cool for another 20-30 minutes so the glaze can set before cutting.  (I put them in the fridge for about an hour.)

P.S. Fluorescent kitchen lighting and a crappy camera do not do these recipes justice.  I am officially putting this on my wish list.