Peppermint Brownies

Oh my goodness. I am so glad that I made these for a cookie swap! Otherwise I would’ve eaten all 4 dozen by myself. I participated in the 2nd Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap benefiting Cookies for Kids Cancer. It was put on by Julie from The Little Kitchen and Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil. It was so neat to have 3 boxes of cookies show up in my mailbox! What’s better than getting mail? Getting COOKIES IN THE MAIL!

The sweetest part about the cookie swap, though, was the cause it benefited. Pediatric cancer is something that hits very close to home as a friend’s son passed away two months ago after losing his battle with it. He was only a few months older than my Ada, and if this is one way I can help the fight against this awful disease, then I am going to do it.  I sent my brownies to Jennifer of Bake or Break, Joanna of Go Ahead and Snicker, and Camilla of CaffayWay. It was crazy sending off my little guys in a box! I hope they made it to New York, New Jersey, and Colorado safely and tasted as good as when I made them. I received yummy treats from Leah at Wine Imbiber, Milisa of Miss In The Kitchen, and Mika from Merienda With Mika. Thank you so much ladies! I have been wanting to bake these for a long time. Last Christmas my sister-in-law gave me the cookbook Our Best Bites with a mint brownie recipe inside! If you’ve ever been to BYU, you know that their mint brownies are to die for! They usually sell out at the Creamery & Wilkinson Center during EFY and Education Week. These taste as good as BYU’s and I put my own twist on them to make them festive for Christmas. Pink frosting instead of traditional green (although you could do green too), and Andes Peppermint baking chips on top! Much better than candy canes, in my opinion. More chocolate always wins in my book! Layers of moist homemade brownie, fluffy peppermint frosting, decadent chocolate ganache, and bits of peppermint white chocolate. YEAH! 

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Peppermint Brownies

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Author adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients

• 4 1 oz. squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Frosting:
• 1-2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• Red food coloring
• Chocolate Glaze:
• 6 oz. about 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil, letting the edges hang over the side of the pan. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Break baking chocolate into chunks and slice butter into 1/2 in. pats. Put both into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds increments, stirring after each time until smooth. Set bowl aside and stir every now and then to keep smooth.
3. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 2 minutes. While it is mixing, whisk flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. With the mixer running, slowly add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Turn mixer to low and add in flour mixture by the spoonful, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into pans lined with foil and bake for 20-30 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Cool brownies to room temperature on a cooling rack. Prepare frosting by beating all frosting ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 Tablespoons of milk and adding more if needed. (I only used 1 1/2 T.) Beat until light and fluffy, then spread evenly over brownies. Chill in refrigerator.
5. While the brownies are in the fridge, make the chocolate glaze. In another (or the same) microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and 6 Tablespoons butter. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, just until melted and smooth. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then spread on top of frosted brownies. Be gentle, careful not to pull up the frosting below. Sprinkle with peppermint baking chips and return to refrigerator to cool.
6. When the chocolate glaze has hardened, lift brownies from pan using foil overhang. Slice into squares and eat, serve, or ship. Enjoy!