Brookies, Gluten Free

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven and line the pan

   Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal pan with parchment, letting it hang over the two long sides so you can lift the whole slab out later. Metal is worth seeking out here; glass holds heat differently and will leave you with gummy corners.

2. 2

   Build the brownie batter

   In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with both sugars until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 30 seconds. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking hard after each, then the vanilla. Keep whisking for a solid minute after the last egg goes in. This is what dissolves the sugar and gives you that thin, papery, crackly top, so don't rush it.

3. 3

   Finish and spread the brownie layer

   Sift the cocoa powder over the bowl, then add the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, and salt, and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. There's no gluten to overwork, so mix until it's genuinely smooth rather than stopping early. Fold in the chocolate chips, scrape into the pan, and spread flat with an offset spatula, pushing into the corners.

4. 4

   Make the cookie dough

   In a second bowl, beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping the bowl. Add the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking soda, and fine salt, and mix on low until fully combined. The dough will feel softer and stickier than a wheat dough at this stage, which is normal.

5. 5

   Patch the cookie layer on top

   Fold in the chocolate chips, then pull off golf-ball-sized pieces of dough, flatten each between your palms into a rough disc, and lay them over the brownie batter like paving stones. Lightly wet your hands if the dough sticks. Pinch the seams together, leaving a few gaps where the brownie shows through, and scatter the flaky salt over the top if using.

6. 6

   Rest the pan before baking

   Let the assembled pan sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Gluten-free starches and rice flours absorb liquid slowly, and this rest is what separates a tender bar from a faintly gritty one. The dough will also firm up, so it sinks less into the brownie layer.

7. 7

   Bake

   Bake 36 to 42 minutes. Gluten-free bars take a few minutes longer and brown more slowly, so don't use color alone as your cue. Look for a cookie layer that is set to the touch and no longer glossy, with edges pulling slightly from the parchment. Tent with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top darkens quickly. A skewer in the center should bring up moist crumbs and melted chocolate, not wet batter.

8. 8

   Cool completely before cutting

   Cool the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, and ideally 3. Gluten-free bars set up almost entirely during cooling and are genuinely fragile while warm, so cutting early will tear them. Once fully cool, lift out by the parchment and cut into 24 bars, wiping the knife between cuts.

9. You did it! Help us bring baking back home by selling your delicious baked goods on Homebaked!

Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Weigh the flour if you can. An extra 20 grams scooped into the cookie layer is the difference between chewy and dry, and it's the single most common reason brookies disappoint.

• 2.

  The two layers have different doneness windows, which is the whole challenge of this bake. Trust the brownie, not the cookie: a cookie top that looks a touch underdone is correct, because it keeps setting as the pan cools.

• 3.

  For cleaner layers, chill the assembled pan 15 minutes before baking. The cookie dough firms up and sinks less into the brownie batter.

• 4.

  Chopped bar chocolate instead of chips in the brownie layer gives you melty pools and shards rather than uniform dots. Worth doing at least once.

• 5.

  Bringing the eggs to room temperature matters more than it sounds. Cold eggs seize melted butter and you'll get a greasy, separated brownie batter.

• 6.

  Toasted walnuts or pecans, about 3/4 cup, can be folded into the brownie layer without any other adjustment.