Welcome to Class of Cookie 2023: A (deliciously) special project where Mumbai-based chef Prateek Bakhtiani, Head Chef at Ether Atelier Chocolat invites ten of his closest friends-of-food and asks them to share a ‘comfort cookie’ recipe.
In this second dispatch of our collaboration with chef Prateek, what if he told us that we don’t need to choose between our favourites? For this episode, chef Prateek collaborates with chef Pooja Dhingra, the brains (and hands) behind Le 15 Patisserie. She shares her version of the ultimate comfort cookie — the brookie. This recipe comes to you from her latest book Little Book of Cookies, a trove of eggless cookie recipes that is written with children in mind. Her Brookie recipe gives you a cookie and a brownie in one treat, with a pinch of joy for the child in you.
Makes: 12 Cookies
Per cookie serving: 43–45g
Shelf Life: 7 Days
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, sea salt, decadence
Ingredients:
120g 55% dark chocolate
60g butter
65g brown sugar
8.5ml milk
4g baking powder
125g all-purpose flour
2g salt
40g chocolate chips (optional)
50g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
a handful of fennel seeds (optional)
Preparation:
Combine the 55% dark chocolate and butter in a glass bowl and pop it in the microwave to melt.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and whisk in the brown sugar along with the tepid milk into the batter.
Sift in the baking powder, flour, and salt together and fold it into the mixture gently, until well combined into a dough.
Here's where you can get creative. Feel free to choose your preferred combination, but this is what each chef recommends. Pooja’s version (ideal for the young ones) uses 55% dark chocolate chips and walnuts while Prateek uses 72% dark chocolate chips and a handful of fennel seeds. Fold in your desired ingredients into the dough.
Allow the dough to rest for about 10–15 minutes before gently rolling and flattening it out on a baking tray.
In an oven, bake the brookie at 170-180°C for about 12–14 minutes, or until you are left with a crackling exterior.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on a rack before cutting to serve.
Pooja Dhingra is an award-winning pastry chef and author, host of popular podcast #NoSugarCoat, and the founder of Le 15 Patisserie. She is also a 2014 alumna of Forbes India & Asia’s “30 Under 30” list.
Prateek Bakhtiani is an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, where he learnt the art of pastry making. He has served as a chef at several Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Belgium, and the United States.
