minty magic

It's been a grey, rainy couple of days in New York. With chilly winds and temperatures in the 40s, mid-May has been feeling an awful lot like March. (I guess this is payback for those late winter days that were so warm I needed to run the air conditioner, right?) Amid all of this nonstop dreariness, I found myself very much in need of a pick-me-up. I needed chocolate.

It just so happens that I'd been scouring the web in search of a great noodle salad recipe (to replace my awful improvised attempt!) and had bookmarked a brownie recipe that I simply had to try, so this afternoon I decided to give it a whirl. And trust me, this recipe does not disappoint.

A few notes: I like the mint, but it might be fun to experiment with other flavorings (cherry, coconut) in the frosting layer instead. Also, cut these brownies into small squares, because they're very rich. 

Mint Brownies

recipe courtesy of Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

Brownies:

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (4 ounces)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

4 eggs (I used three, since I like my brownies fudge-y and not cake-y)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1-2 tablespoons milk

Green food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:

6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, since I had it on hand)

6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, making sure the foil extends over the edges by at least one inch. Lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.

Chop both unsweetened chocolate and two sticks of butter into chunks and place together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. 

With an electric mixer or stand mixer beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 2 minutes. While egg mixture is beating, measure out flour and combine with baking powder. While mixer is running, slowly add melted chocolate and beat to combine. Turn beater speed to low and add in flour by spoonfuls. Mix just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a knife poked in center comes out clean.

Cool completely on a metal rack. When brownies have cooled to room temperature, prepare frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 tablespoon of milk, and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk by teaspoonful as needed. Spread frosting evenly over brownies and then place brownies in fridge to chill. 

While brownies are chilling prepare chocolate glaze. Place chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes and then carefully spread on top of the frosting layer. Return pan to fridge to cool. When chocolate has hardened, use edges of foil to remove entire brownie from pan. Cut into squares and serve.