cake pan cookies stuffed w/ almond joys

Is it a brownie or a cookie?
A brookie perhaps, but I didn't coin that phrase.
I didn't know what to call these.
Cake pan works for me, memory-wise that is, since I'm an old fart.
What do these taste like?
To me, they taste like a softer version of a shortbread.
Not at all heavy or dense, light and very flavorful.
I'll take flavor over sweet any day.
And the best part?
Not that sweet.
Oh I cannot tell you how much I hate over-sweet cookies and brownies!
So if you are looking for a semi-lightened up version of a cookie then bookmark this recipe.
One thing you do have to watch when baking these is that they bake up fast.
Since they are not that heavy they will bake fast and tend to overbake/dry up very fast.
So heed warning on the baking times!


They don't keep long. Maybe a couple days wrapped in air-tight container.
But rarely do baked goods last even a day with my family and friends.


Do you want the middle piece?

cake pan cookies stuffed with almond joy

print recipe

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 ts baking soda

¾ TB baking powder

5 TB double dutch cocoa powder

½ ts sea salt

2 sticks (16 TB) unsalted butter, room temp

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

½ ts pure vanilla extract

8 almond joys eggs or whatever candy you wish (might need more/less depending on cake pan size you use AND what size almond joys you use)

Cooking notes:  I used almond joy egg shapes since their size and shape made sense for this recipe.  If you can’t find them then use another egg shaped candy or whatever you desire.

I used a 10-inch cake pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk all the dry ingredients together; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, either by hand or using a mixer (I don’t have a mixer so I did this by hand) mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

Add in the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract, mix well. Then add in the dry mixture, mix until just combined, do not overmix.

Spray an 8, 9 or 10-inch cake pan with non-stick spray.

Spread batter into cake pan evenly. If it’s too sticky then wet your fingers. Don’t push the dough down too hard, you want it light, so just make sure to cover all areas.

Place, in a circle, about 7 almond joy eggs and then one in the middle (see photo on how to place). Gently push them in, don’t push down all the way through.

Bake about 16-19 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. You’ll know the cookies are done by crisp edges and slightly puffy middles, and the tops will be soft, this is good.  Don’t let it get crisp! It’s a fragile cookie dough and will dry out if overcooked.  So look for non-jiggly middles and a “gentle” crisp on top.

Let it sit in pan after baking for at least 30 minutes to finish setting up.

Slice into pie like slices (see photo on website).

Makes 8 large slices.