This has been a great summer so far.  This is pretty much what we’ve been doing:

The move is almost a distant memory and we are settling into our house nicely.  So, onto some baking!

We spent a lovely afternoon with some friends yesterday and I brought along this yummy cake.  The recipe said “Biscoff Brownies” and I love me a good brownie and I love me some Cookie Butter so this seemed perfect.

Some call it Biscoff, I prefer Cookie Butter because it describes exactly what it is!  By the way, did you know that it comes in Smooth and Crunchy??!

I used the Crunchy in the Frosting and it added a lovely little crunch.  My friends who were eating it at first thought it was peanut butter, but then realized it wasn’t quite the same taste.  I was so excited to introduce some more people to the awesomeness that is Cookie Butter/Biscoff!

The dessert was very good, but alas, it wasn’t an according-to-hoyle Brownie, as the recipe promised.  Roxana of Roxana’s Home Baking said she added 2 more eggs to make it more cakey, and I do believe it worked.  It was very good – don’t get me wrong – but it was definitely cakey and not brownie-y.  Perhaps next time I will try it with one egg to see what happens.  I prefer my brownies to be more fudgey, almost but not quite gooey, and thicker.

For sure next time, I’m adding more chocolate.

Of course that lack of excessive chocolate didn’t stop me from eating 3 pieces at a sitting.  Like I said, I love me some cookie butter!!

Cookie Butter Chocolate Cake

Source: Roxana’s Home Baking

Cake

• 6 Tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance non-dairy)
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (no harm in adding more… any chocolate chip you have will do)
• 1/3 cup cookie butter (or Biscoff) (I used smooth)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cup buttermilk (Don’t have any? Use this trick: put one Tablespoon white vinegar in measuring cup and add milk up to one cup for each cup of buttermilk. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.)
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1 cup cookie butter (I used crunchy)
• 4 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a small microwave safe bowl or your double boiler, combine the butter and 1/3 cup chocolate chips.  Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds then stir until melted.  Or melt on your double boiler.

In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl (or in the measuring cup where you mixed your buttermilk) combine the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Mix in the melted butter and cookie butter and some more chocolate chips (at least 1/3 cup or more).

Pour the batter into the pan lined with parchment and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, make your frosting.  Melt the butter in the microwave on high for 20-30 seconds, then stir until melted.  Or use your double boiler again.  Mix in the cookie butter and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread over the cake, cut into squares and serve.

Will keep in a covered pan for several days.