Mint Chocolate Brownies

The last and final recipe from my baking day extravaganza.  A classic flavor for the holidays and one of my favorites, Mint!

You start this recipe making a classic brownie and then you get a little crazy by adding two more layers of deliciousness.

Allow yourself some time to make these brownies, you need to refrigerate each layer before you ever get to cut them into squares. It's totally worth it though.  The brownies are nice an fudgy and the burst of mint flavor is awesome.  The chocolate layer on top just brings it all together.  Definitely a great holiday brownie

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (85g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Mint Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups (240g) confectioners' sugar for dusting
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) milk
• 1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 drop liquid or green gel food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Topping

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooking Directions

1. For the Brownies: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Remover from the heat. You can also microwave this mixture in a heat safe bowl in 30 second increments until smooth.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch dish with parchment paper or tin foil leaving some hanging over the sides.
3. Whisk both sugars into the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture one at a time, whisking after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla. 
6. Gently fold in the salt, flour and cocoa powder. Pour into the prepared baking dish. 
7. Bake for 35-36 minutes.  The brownies will begin to pull away from the side of the pan. Insert a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out clean they are done. 
8. Let the brownies cool down to room temperature and then pull them out of the pan and place on a cookie sheet but do not cut into squares yet. 
9. At this point you can refrigerate or even freeze the brownies if you're making them ahead of time. 
10. For the Mint Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth.  Add the confectioners' sugar and milk and mix until smooth. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute.  Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and beat until combined. Taste and add more extract if desired. Frost on top of the cooled brownies. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before doing the next step. 
11. For the Chocolate Topping: In a small saucepan melt the butter and chocolate chips together over low heat until melted and smooth.  You can also do this in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour on top of the frosted brownies and then refrigerate again for another hour before cutting into squares. 

Holiday Baking Day

A little tradition that some of my neighbors and I do every year is a baking day a couple of weeks before Christmas.  This year it was me, Melissa and Emily all crowded together in my kitchen surrounded by sugar and laughing our heads off.  Such a fun day. 

In case you're wondering what we do, here are the perimeters. 

• We each plan to make three things
• We usually have at least one and sometimes two "no bake" items that can be done on the stove top or just in a mixing bowl. 
• We bring all of our own supplies, that includes trays, mixers, measuring cups and ingredients. 
• If you're super on top of things you can even make the dough or whatever before arriving so there is less to do once you get there.  
• Since the event was at my house I went ahead and baked my cookies before everyone else arrived so they could have the oven. 
• I also provided some healthy snacks and some not so healthy snacks for us to eat while baking in hopes that we wouldn't fill up on only sugar.
• At the end of the day we split all the things we made into thirds and share - then you end up with 9 items that you can either gift out, eat or freeze and save for your Christmas guests. 

Brigadeiro (Brazilian Truffle)

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

One of my new favorites.  I love for so many reasons but it only having three ingredients is a big one. Also, the texture is so very smooth and chocolaty.  This truffle never really gets hard even in the refrigerator. 

Peppermint Meltaways

Recipe from Taste of Home

This was the first time trying this cookie and I wasn't disappointed.  I love peppermint and the cookie itself really does melt in your mouth.  The candy on top is a must for me, I love the crunchy little peppermint bite. 

Buttery Caramel Sauce

I've made this before and the reason I made it again was because it's so delicious.  I can ALWAYS think of something to add caramel to.  I just doubled the recipe and sent my friends home with their own jars.  This makes a great gift to give away but don't forget to keep some for yourself!

Cinnamon Sugar Chex Mix

These are advertised as addictive, and they are.  They seem so unassuming just sitting there in their little bowl.  Then you try one.  Then you can't stop. 

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This little goodie was made by Melissa.  I now you've probably seen or tasted them before but they are amazing.  The cookie portion is nice and chewy just like I like them and of course it doesn't hurt that you bite into a peanut butter cup too.  So darn good. 

Honeycomb

Seriously one of my new all time favorites.  I don't know how I've survived this long without having this before.  It sort of reminds me of peanut brittle without the peanuts.  Only the texture is slightly different because of all those air pockets.  It's crunchy but not break your teeth crunchy.  I need to make them myself ASAP. Thanks Emily for introducing me to these, and my dentist thanks you too. 

Swig Sugar Cookies

Emily made these yummies.  I love how they are so soft that they practically melt in your mouth. Oh and that sour cream frosting is devine.

(I'm lame and I forgot to get a close up picture of this one.)  It is pictured at the very top of the page though and this website below has excellent pictures.  Sorry!

No Bake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars

Peppermint Meltaways

This is another one of the treats I made when my neighbors and I had a baking day recently.  This cookie is totally delicious and perfect for the holidays.  Its the kind of cookie that sort of just melts when you bite it (hence the name).  It's not chewy or cakey but it's not hard either, I'm just going to call it tender.  The peppermint extract is subtle but flavorful. The frosting on top is really good too.  I love the crushed candies on top because you get all the different textures in one bite. Smooth frosting with the peppermint background and the sweet crunch of those candies is just perfect. 

Santa would love these on Christmas Eve.  Just sayin. 
Peppermint Meltaways

Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch

Frosting

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 2-3 drops red food coloring (optional)
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and confectioners sugar.
3. Add the extract and combine. 
4. In a small bowl, sift the flour and cornstarch together. 
5. Add the flour mixture in with the other wet ingredients and mix together. 
6. Place dough in a one inch ball and put on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  The cookies will remain pale.  Only the bottoms will get slightly golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. 
7. To prepare frosting, add the softened butter to the mixing bowl and cream it together with the confectioners sugar.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. 
8. Place a dollop of frosting on each cookie and top with a sprinkling of crushed peppermints. 

Mint Chocolate Delights

My family and I packed ourselves into the car yesterday and headed out to pick some apples.  That's what you do in October right? I was so excited, my daughter was excited, my husband was....well he agreed to come with us so that's something.  Just kidding, he seemed excited.  We drove an hour and got there to find out that they had already picked all of the apples two weeks ago because of an early harvest.  Oh well, we bought some apples anyway.  I smell apple pie in our future today.

Apples really have nothing to do with today's recipe.  I'm not sure why I even brought it up.  Forgive me.

Mint makes me think of the holidays.  Does it do that for you to?

Mint actually does have some significance in today's recipe.  When winter arrives I always stock up on some of Nestle Toll House dark chocolate and mint morsels.  I just snack on them mostly but a couple of days ago I decided to go ahead and bake with them too.  What a novel idea huh?

The cookie itself is a chocolate cookie and the only mint added is the morsels so you're not getting overwhelmed here.  These are sort of a chewy/cakey type cookie.  They are chewy initially and then get sort of cakey after the first day.  Either way, they are delicious.  These would make a great addition to any upcoming holiday parties you might be attending....or in your own personal cookie jar.  Just sayin'.


Mint Chocolate Delights

From Nestle Toll House

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cup (10 oz. pkg) Nestle Toll House Chocolate & Mint Morsels

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture until combined and then mix in the morsels.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. Cookies will looked puffed and the centers should be set.
7. Cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.

Makes about 4 dozen.