To celebrate the start of the NCAA basketball tournament as well as the Division 3 frozen 4 (which is being held 10 minutes from where we live), I made cosmic brownie cookies.  They are like the little debbie cosmic brownies, which I loved as a child, in cookie form.  I used dark chocolate chips and black cocoa, but you can certainly use semisweet chips and regular baking cocoa.

Reminders – scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  I recommend scooping out and freezing individual dough mounds before baking.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes once you are ready to bake.

• Ingredients list
• 12 tbs butter
• 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup black cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and dark chocolate chips in 45 second increments until you can stir it all smooth.  Add brown sugar and sugar.  Beat in one egg at a time.  Add vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Scoop out 3 tbs of dough.  Freeze a few hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake 13 to 15 minutes.  Tops will be a little gushy.  Cool completely.   Pop in fridge to firm them up.

• Frosting ingredients
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup black cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup warm water

Combine ingredients and frost cooled cookies.  Sprinkle with m&ms. 

Store in covered container.