Celebrate the Holidays and National Brownie Day with these gooey, minty Peppermint Brownies
As the cold begins to set in, it's important for us to remember that December is all about eating as many decadent treats as possible. Between weekend holiday gatherings and the bounties of your baking-enthusiast co-workers, it's nearly impossible to avoid the excess of sweets. So save the smoothies and quinoa for January, and enjoy your desserts. This month, we're going to feature a few recipes that are meant to be indulged upon.
This recipe puts a holiday twist on the standard fudgy brownie for an extra element that will make them a favorite of aficionados of the only dessert flavor combination that matters: chocolate and mint (sorry, peanut butter). It's a two-part recipe that does take a little longer than your typical boxed brownie recipe, so it's best saved for a chilly evening or lazy weekend when you've got a few hours to spare. As you might imagine, this recipe calls for a few mint-flavored items, but most of the rest of the ingredients are things that any semi-serious baker should already have in the cupboard.
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350° F, then line an 8″x8″ baking pan (or 9″x9″ for slightly thinner brownies) with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
Combine the flour, salt and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
In a large glass bowl, melt the butter and 6 oz of dark chocolate. You can do this in the microwave or by double-boiling. Stir until both are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the granulated and brown sugars to the chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until combined. Let it cool to room temperature.
Add the eggs to the mixture, whisk until combined. Then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and stir. Be gentle here—over-beating will make your batter airy and give it a cakey texture.
Sprinkle the flour/cocoa mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold them together until just a bit of flour is visible. Then fold in the Andes mint chips.
Spread the batter onto the pan, bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with few to almost no crumbs attached. Let them cool completely (probably about an hour).
Heat the heavy cream over a medium flame until boiling. Add the remainder of the dark chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Then stir until smooth.
Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Feel free to also throw some festive sprinkles on there as well.
Place the brownies into the refrigerator for about an hour, or until the ganache becomes firm. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Pro tip: when double-boiling, always use a glass bowl to avoid hotspots where the bowl meets the edge of the lower pot.
Ingredients
Directions
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350° F, then line an 8″x8″ baking pan (or 9″x9″ for slightly thinner brownies) with parchment paper and lightly grease it.
Combine the flour, salt and cocoa powder in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed.
In a large glass bowl, melt the butter and 6 oz of dark chocolate. You can do this in the microwave or by double-boiling. Stir until both are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add the granulated and brown sugars to the chocolate-butter mixture and whisk until combined. Let it cool to room temperature.
Add the eggs to the mixture, whisk until combined. Then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and stir. Be gentle here—over-beating will make your batter airy and give it a cakey texture.
Sprinkle the flour/cocoa mixture over the chocolate mixture and fold them together until just a bit of flour is visible. Then fold in the Andes mint chips.
Spread the batter onto the pan, bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with few to almost no crumbs attached. Let them cool completely (probably about an hour).
Heat the heavy cream over a medium flame until boiling. Add the remainder of the dark chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute. Then stir until smooth.
Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Feel free to also throw some festive sprinkles on there as well.
Place the brownies into the refrigerator for about an hour, or until the ganache becomes firm. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Pro tip: when double-boiling, always use a glass bowl to avoid hotspots where the bowl meets the edge of the lower pot.
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