To my awesome readers! I hope you’re having a good start to your year?!

When I first started blogging I always used to think I’d get better at keeping up eventually, but I don’t know, the opposite is happening these days. It’s kind of like things are getting leveled up like one of my brothers’ video games. I can even hear my brother doing a perfect impression of one of those deep narrative voices they use in those games, “Level 10!”. (He’s really talented at voice impressions by the way. We keep telling him he needs to do something on YouTube.) But anyway, I’ve been barely getting things done before I’m ready to post them, but I’m resolving to stop this annoying cycle and get my rhythm back.

Alright, but this tart is the topic of today’s post and I think it’s really something you’ll love. At least, I’m hoping it is, but how can anyone not be into a treat that combines three completely delicious things; brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and meringue on top?!

This would go over really well for any football watching party you might have planned this weekend. Oh, and it’s February you guys. It snuck up on me but it’s here and that means it’s almost time for Valentine’s Day! I was thinking how this would make a really sweet and sort of romantic treat to make for that occasion. I’ve always heard growing up that a way to a guy’s heart is through his stomach. Totally cliché, I know, but also pretty accurate I think.

RECIPE

Yield: 8 - 10 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 /2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
125g (about 3/4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Brownie Filling:
1/3 cup (about 6 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Meringue Topping:
3 egg whites
3/4 sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C) and grease a . Cream butter and sugars together in bowl of stand mixer (or with hand mixer). Scrape sides of bowl and add eggs; beat until well combined. Add vanilla, soda, and salt. Add flour one cup at a time and beat after each addition. Stir in chocolate now and press the dough tightly into a 10-inch tart pan.
Bake for 7 - 8 minutes until edges just start to turn lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes.
While the crust is cooling, beat together the sugar and butter for the brownie filling until creamed. Add the salt, soda, vanilla, and cocoa and stir until combined. Stir in the yolks and then the flour until you have a smooth, thick batter. Pour the batter into the slightly cooled crust and spread it into an even layer all the way to the sides. Cover the edges of the cookie crust with foil and return pan to the oven to bake for 8 - 10 minutes more, or until the brownie layer appears dry on top and doesn't jiggle when you nudge the pan a little.
While the brownie layer is baking, pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat on high until they form stiff peaks. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the sugar while mixing, then the vanilla and salt. Continue to beat until very stiff.
Once the brownie layer has cooked, remove the pan from the oven and spoon all the meringue over the tart (If desired you can put it in a piping bag fitted with a large tip and pipe it onto the tart in whatever design you want.) Place the tart back into the oven one more time and bake it until the top of the meringue starts to brown, and harden. Remove and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. It's great warm or cold and it's best eaten as soon as possible as meringues don't last very long.

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D5300 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.