Mint-Chocolate Brownies

These brownies ARE holiday baking to me. Though I do make them at other times of the year, they are something my Mom made at the holidays, and I love, love, love them.

What You Need:
Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup whole milk
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz. chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3/4 cup butter (divided)
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Mint Layer:
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter (not margarine)
3 Tbsp. Creme de Menthe*
1 Tbsp. Water

Top Layer:
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

Makes 3-4 dozen small brownies
*Note: Creme de Menthe is found in the liquor store or liquor section. You can buy it in clear or green. I like green because I like the color it adds. It's also yummy to add to hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. Mmmmmmm. 

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the milk, brown sugar, chocolate, and 1/4 cup of the butter. Set aside to cool. (In a pinch, you could also use 8 oz. of Hershey's Syrup here to replace this homemade syrup, but this is so much better. The original recipe did call for Hershey's.)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

In a mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 cup (softened) butter and the sugar.

Add eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together.

Pour into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool completely. You can remove the brownies from the pan while they cool or as they cool. Just lift up on the extra flaps of parchment, and lift them out. Run a knife around the sides if they seem like they're sticking to the sides.

While the cake cools, make the mint layer.

In a mixer, cream together sugar, butter and creme de menthe. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of water if the mixture is too stiff to spread. I usually use 1 Tbsp. of water. If you add more than 3 Tbsp. Creme de Menthe, it starts tasting like alcohol.

Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownie layer.

Let stand in the refrigerator until set.

While that sets, make the top chocolate layer.

In a small saucepan, or a double boiler, mix chocolate chips and shortening. Melt over low heat while stirring the whole time.

Spread a thin layer over the mint filling.

Cut the brownies shortly after spreading the chocolate layer.

It's useful to have a damp paper towel nearby to wipe off the knife after every few cuts. It gets rather gummed up with all of the filling and chocolate.

If you wait too long, the top layer cracks when you cut it. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

I recommend the freezer... or else you will just end up eating them all... like I do. (But they only take 5-10 minutes to defrost if you cut them small enough.)

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Mint-Chocolate Brownies

These brownies ARE holiday baking to me. Though I do make them at other times of the year, they are something my Mom made at the holidays, and I love, love, love them.

What You Need:
Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup whole milk
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz. chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
3/4 cup butter (divided)
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Mint Layer:
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter (not margarine)
3 Tbsp. Creme de Menthe*
1 Tbsp. Water

Top Layer:
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

Makes 3-4 dozen small brownies
*Note: Creme de Menthe is found in the liquor store or liquor section. You can buy it in clear or green. I like green because I like the color it adds. It's also yummy to add to hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. Mmmmmmm. 

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the milk, brown sugar, chocolate, and 1/4 cup of the butter. Set aside to cool. (In a pinch, you could also use 8 oz. of Hershey's Syrup here to replace this homemade syrup, but this is so much better. The original recipe did call for Hershey's.)

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper, and spray with cooking spray.

In a mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 cup (softened) butter and the sugar.

Add eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix until the batter just comes together.

Pour into the pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool completely. You can remove the brownies from the pan while they cool or as they cool. Just lift up on the extra flaps of parchment, and lift them out. Run a knife around the sides if they seem like they're sticking to the sides.

While the cake cools, make the mint layer.

In a mixer, cream together sugar, butter and creme de menthe. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of water if the mixture is too stiff to spread. I usually use 1 Tbsp. of water. If you add more than 3 Tbsp. Creme de Menthe, it starts tasting like alcohol.

Spread the filling evenly over the cooled brownie layer.

Let stand in the refrigerator until set.

While that sets, make the top chocolate layer.

In a small saucepan, or a double boiler, mix chocolate chips and shortening. Melt over low heat while stirring the whole time.

Spread a thin layer over the mint filling.

Cut the brownies shortly after spreading the chocolate layer.

It's useful to have a damp paper towel nearby to wipe off the knife after every few cuts. It gets rather gummed up with all of the filling and chocolate.

If you wait too long, the top layer cracks when you cut it. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

I recommend the freezer... or else you will just end up eating them all... like I do. (But they only take 5-10 minutes to defrost if you cut them small enough.)

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Peanut Butter and Chocolate... like a match made in Heaven (or the Reece's factory - either way). It's also one of my baby sister's favorite food combos. And since she's graduating from college tomorrow, I made these for her. (If they make it through airport security.)

What You Need:
Brownie Mix
 - oil, eggs, water (or whatever you need according to the box)
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1 package graham crackers (crushed)
1 cup powdered sugar
6 oz. milk chocolate chips (or candy bars), melted
2 Tbsp. Butter

These brownies are seriously easy, and dangerously fast to make. Are you ready?

Prepare the brownies according to the box, and spoon the batter into an 8"x8" square pan, lined with parchment paper. (This will help when you add the top layers. It makes it a lot easier to cut the brownies later.)

Bake as directed. (I think my batch was 28 minutes?? Just follow the instructions on the box.)
While the brownies bake, prepare the peanut butter layer.

Crush one package of graham crackers. This means one of the little individually-wrapped packages inside of the box... NOT the entire box!! It ends up being about 1/2-1 cup of crushed crumbs. (I'll measure more carefully next time after I crush them.)
I found the best way to crush them is to break them up a little in the package, then pour them into a ziptop baggie. Press most of the air out, then roll over the bag with a rolling pin

Soften/melt the butter and peanut butter in a large measuring cup. I put them in the microwave for about 45 seconds on high. You want them to be mostly liquid, but it doesn't have to be hot. Stir with a fork to combine.
Add the crushed graham cracker crumbs and the powdered sugar.

Stir until well mixed. Set aside until the brownies are done.

Melt the chocolate chips with the butter over low heat in a small saucepan... or in the microwave on 30% power, stirring often (every 30 seconds or so). Set aside until the brownies are out of the oven.

... back to the brownies...

As soon as the brownies are out of the oven, spread the peanut butter mixture over the top.

Spread the chocolate mixture over the top after that. Place in the refrigerator to set for about an hour.

Once the brownies have cooled, remove the whole thing from the pan. (I usually pull up on the parchment paper.) Peel the paper down the sides.

*A Note About the Chocolate:
If you want the chocolate to remain soft, you will want to use something like my ganache recipe. The chocolate chips and butter will cool hard when you put it in the fridge.

Cut into squares.
Enjoy!
(I strongly recommend a glass of milk with these puppies!)

Click the Links Below to See:
Mint-Chocolate Brownies
Chocolate-Caramel Oatmeal Bars
Other Chocolate Recipes and Ideas

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