Mint Brownies

These are the brownies that I made for Kelly and her family that I mentioned yesterday.  The ones that are addictive as crack.  You better believe I made a double batch so we could get in on the indulgence too.  I found the recipe on epicurious, which is one of my favorite cooking websites.  Their recipes always deliver and this was no exception!  

These brownies would be perfect for a holiday get together - the combo of mint and chocolate makes me think of Christmas!  John said they tasted like a Peppermint Patty.  They did, but more fattening :-)  They end up fudgy as opposed to cake like, which in my opinion, is the way brownies should be.  (Fudgy!)  And who can resist the buttercream peppermint frosting on top?! 

The recipe is very easy but it does take some time - you start by making the brownies, then you let them cool and add one layer of frosting, let them cool again before you add the second layer.  It's worth the wait though, I promise!   I'll definitely be making these again before the holiday season is over, and you should too!

Mint Brownies

Recipe Source: Epicurious

Yields 12 brownies (I doubled this)

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

1 stick butter

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 cups sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

For the toppings:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon whole milk (I used 1% and it was fine)

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare an 8x8x2 baking dish and set aside.

Stir the butter and chocolate in a small sauce pan over low heat until fully melted and combined.  Set aside.  In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the chocolate/butter mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extract, and salt.  Mix just enough to combine.  Pour in baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes, or until you can stick a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.  Cool slightly.

For the peppermint frosting (first layer), beat the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, peppermint extract, and milk on high speed until creamy.  Spread over warm brownies and cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

For the chocolate topping, stir the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until well combined.  Cool slightly, then pour over the cooled brownies/frosting and spread evenly.  Cool for another hour or until frosting is completely set.  Cut into squares.

Cover with foil and store at room temp, although I froze a batch of these for a few days and they turned out just as good as they were on the first day.

What are you planning on baking this holiday season?  I still want to tackle gingerbread cookies (soft!!), sugar cookies, and some sort of chocolate peppermint cake.