Brownie Cookies

Okay folks!  I found a new love!  I love brownies but I never make them because I am either out of brownie mix or I need something not in a pan.  I also think that brownies usually taste like cake when they are made from scratch instead of "brownies".  But not these ones! They are inspired by the neighborhood funeral for an elderly gentleman and from all recipes by Jonie Adams.  I just tweaked and added toffee bits.  I bet you could add lots of different things, her recipe had nuts - but I do think that is the number one way to ruin a brownie.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup shortening - I used the butter flavored
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 package of milk chocolate
• 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

Directions

1. Do the whole recipe in a bowl with a wooden spoon to prevent overmixing. Start by creaming shortening, sugar, water and vanilla. Add in eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; stir just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee - or other extras -  if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets (or my favorite trick for only having 3 cookie sheets and a batter that makes more than that = I cover them in tin foil & then just lift the foil off). Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 minutes; do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.  They have to sit on the racks for some time to get the undersides to dry out a bit.