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Kim Komando, America's Digital Goddess

Chocolate Mint Brownies Recipe

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Chocolate Mint Brownies Recipe

I wouldn't be over stating when I say that Americans love brownies. Let's face it. When you have whole recipe books devoted to the subject, there has to be a bit of a brownie obsession. Brownies have been popular since the 1920's and there are many stories about who invented the first brownie recipe. Jean Anderson, in her book "The American Century Cookbook", gives us a few theories. One theory is that a woman named Brownie invented them. Another is that a housewife from Bangor Maine invented them by mistake. The story goes that one day she made a chocolate cake that collapsed and instead of throwing the cake away she decided to cut the flat cake into squares, which only later became known as brownies. Both stories seem plausible and there are probably many others, so I guess we have to be content just with the fact that at least someone in America invented them.   

 

When you look at the above picture you can see this is not your ordinary brownie. This is a dense and fudgy brownie that is topped with a layer of mint flavored cream and then a thin layer of melted dark chocolate. I first made these brownies when I wanted something 'green' for St. Patrick's Day. Now I make them all year (especially during the Christmas season) as mint and chocolate are the perfect combination.

As I said above, this is a dense and fudgy brownie and, in fact, it is the same brownie recipe that I used for the Cream Cheese Brownies. I really like how easy this batter comes together. It is hand mixed and only one bowl is needed to complete the task. Once the brownies are baked and cooled, they are spread first with a creamy mint flavored frosting and then a shiny chocolate glaze. The mint layer is a simple butter frosting and the mint flavor comes by adding either pure peppermint extract or Creme de Menthe. The final layer of these brownies is a lovely chocolate glaze that is simply melted semisweet chocolate and butter. I like to cut these brownies into small squares as they are quite rich and if you have leftovers they can be frozen.

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.

Brownies: In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies will come out almost clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool.

Mint Layer: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want the frosting green. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. (The frosting should be just thin enough to spread.) Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Place in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes or until firm.

Chocolate Glaze:  In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate glaze starts to dull.

To Serve: Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 30 squares. It is a good idea to wipe your knife between cuts with a damp cloth. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or else frozen.

Makes about 30 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares.

Sources:

Anderson, Jean. 'The American Century Cookbook'. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. New York: 1997.

Heatter, Maida. 'Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies'. Alfred A. Knoff, New York: 1977.

Mahnke Peery, Susan. 'The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook'. A Fireside Book, New York: 1986.

Medrich, Alice. 'Cookies and Brownies'. Warner Books, Inc. New York: 1999.

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces (114 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup (70 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mint Layer:

2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons creme de menthe

green food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Glaze:

3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

 

   
     
 

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