Deep Chocolate Dessert Bars

Below is the recipe for the Deep Chocolate Dessert bars my daughter made for Mother's Day...they were really good.  They are part cookie, part brownie, part candy...how can you go wrong with a recipe like that?  See below.  Enjoy!

Deep Chocolate Dessert Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Base Layer Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk or semisweet chocolate chips (these used semisweet)

*Note: If you are in a hurry and don't want to make your chocolate chip cookie dough from scratch, you can easily substitute refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough that is already made (like Pillsbury, etc.) and omit all the ingredients above and just begin following the directions below with the 2nd paragraph that reads: **"Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray."

Remaining ingredients
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos (or regular Oreos)
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix (made according to box directions for "fudgy brownies)
1/4 cup hot fudge topping (optional)
Reeses Peanut butter cups, cut in half (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

**Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray.

Top with a layer of Oreos. Mix together brownie mix according to directions for fudgy brownies (these were made with Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate brownie mix), adding the "optional" 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix.  Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and lightly press Reeses peanut butter cups into the brownie dough top and continue baking uncovered for an additional 15-25 minutes (until done). Let cool completely before cutting -- brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set up perfectly once cooled.  Enjoy!!