#GreatHallowTweet – Tombstone Brownies
October 29, 2009 | Print | E-mail | Filed under brownie, chocolate, cookie, ganache
I’m having so much fun with the #GreatHallowTweet bloghop! These Milan tombstone brownies were actually the first idea I had when I was trying to decide on what Halloween treats to make. The actual “tombstones” are based on the Milan cookies I made for the July Daring Baker Challenge, except I halved the recipe and filled them with a chocolate-pumpkin ganache. I whipped up very basic brownies (basically my go-to non-box mix recipe) to place the cookies on top of, but you can add anything in to the brownie mix that you like – chocolate chips, nuts, etc. You can go even further and frost the top of the brownie with other spooky decorations, but I liked them the way they were, sort of gloomy and bare. Here’s what you’ll need!
Milan cookies:
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp lemon extract
- 3/4 cups all purpose flour
Pumpkin ganache:
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin
Basic brownies:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks softened (almost melted) unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup flour
First, whip up the brownies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×9″ baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the cocoa powder and flour, and anything else you’d like to add into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the baking pan.
Bake 25-30 minutes or just until set – but don’t turn off the oven; we’ll need it for the cookies!
Next, start on the cookies. Using a mixer, cream the butter with the sugar. Add in the egg whites gradually, and then mix in the lemon and vanilla extracts.
Add in the flour.
With a 1/4″ tip, pipe 1″ portions of the batter spread 2″ apart onto parchment-lined cookie sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges become light golden brown. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing them.
To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in a small bowl, and then stir in the pumpkin. Set aside to cool.
While the cookies are still warm, cut them all in half.
Spread one of the halves with some of the ganache, and top with the other half. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Decorate by piping spooky words on to the tombstones.
Cut the brownies into pieces, and then press a tombstone cookie into the top of each one!
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October 29th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Oh, how cute!
October 29th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
So cute! Homemade Milan cookies — that’s so cool!
October 29th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
So cool! Pumpkin ganache!!!
October 29th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Your cookies look great… Love the idea to turn homemade milanos into tombstones!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
You’re so creative! These are darling.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Homemade Milanos? Wow! These are absolutely terrific! I get so inspired by you guys!
October 30th, 2009 at 5:49 am
So cute!! I love these!!! Homemade Milan cookies! I love milan cookies! Not just yummy but they look absolutely adorable!!
October 30th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Looks good! I love your fun treats!
October 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
nice, Tracy. You are so creative.
October 30th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Those are soo adorable. I’ve love to try.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Btw, your photography rocks.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I am really drawn to those little cookies! Definitely bookmarking this…yum!
October 30th, 2009 at 11:40 pm
hahaha…those are just too cute!