So.
You know those nights when you get really excited about a recipe, and it smells amazing as it bakes, and you can’t wait to bring it to your Shabbos hosts because not only is it delicious, it also happens to be super fun since it’s got a layer of green mint cream?
Except…it was late at night when you made it, and you had no patience for a proper photo shoot, and so you ended up with lousy photos that you really can’t publish without losing all your readers?
Right. I’m glad you understand.
(And the borders, courtesy of photo editing sites — they kind of make me feel better and kind of make me feel worse. Moving right along.)
So these brownies, they’re lots of fun for a table crowded with kids or a kiddush. Also easily adaptable, if you’re into color-coordinated simcha food (blue for a bris or shalom zachar, pink for a baby girl’s kiddush).
Oh, and I hope you like mint and chocolate. Because I have a crazy cookie recipe waiting in the wings for you.
Mint brownies
Tweaked from Gatherings
Yield: 16 smallish squares
Ingredients
Layer #1 (brownies)
- 50 g (about 2 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar, less 2 Tbsp
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- pinch of salt
Layer #2 (mint cream)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp whipping cream (such as Rich’s whip)
- ¾ tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ tsp green food coloring
Layer #3 (glaze)
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 25 g (about 1 oz) unsweetened baking chocolate
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Butter a 9-inch baking dish and press a sheet of parchment paper into it (the butter helps it stay in place). Don’t skip this step! It makes a big difference in slicing the brownies and removing them from the dish.
2. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler, then remove from heat and set aside to partially cool. (Keep this bowl out for the glaze!) Beat together eggs, sugar, chocolate mixture, and peppermint extract. Add flour and salt and mix well to incorporate.
3. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate to cool the rest of the way.
4. Beat together all mint cream ingredients to achieve a thick consistency. Spread evenly over the cooled brownies (trying this with warm brownies will get messy). Refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
5. Melt the chocolate and butter for the glaze (in the double boiler) until completely smooth, then pour over mint cream layer. Refrigerate until completely cooled, then lift the entire thing out at once by holding the edges of the parchment paper. Cut into bars with a clean, sharp knife, wiping it off between cuts.
