Mint Brownies

This was the first Saturday morning working at the bakery and as it turned out one of the head bakers was out of town and the decorator had to leave early so I was given lots to work on. I baked trays and trays of cookies, cupcakes, and I sampled my first ever taste of pumpkin pie (I had no idea what I had been missing all these years!). I was also given the task of making cream cheese frosting, when I added the sugar I forgot to change the speed on the industrial sized mixer and POOF it was an explosion of white cloudy sugar everywhere. Not only did I cover myself completely from head to toe but anyone who was standing within 5 feet of me as well. I learned my lesson.

I made these brownies for all my pals at Vertigo. They are verrry decadent and they helped pass the time on an extremely slow Friday night at the bar. They are best served cold and in small amounts. Katie's friend Michelle used to make these all the time back in the day, I couldn't find her recipe anywhere but I found a similar one online. Enjoy.


Mint Brownies
Adapted from Joyofbaking.com

Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mint Layer:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons crème de menthe
green food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Glaze:
3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9x9 inch pan lined with parchment paper (extra over the sides).

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, until the batter is smooth and glossy, about one minute. Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, edges should be slightly browned, inserted toothpick should come out clean. Cool completely.

To make the mint layer beat together all the ingredients until smooth. If the frosting is too thick add more cream. Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes or until firm.

To make the chocolate layer use 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.