Day 9 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Mint Brownies

Photo & Recipe Courtesy of Joy of Baking

One of my favorite things about this time of the year is baking cookies. I love baking cookies to give away to friends and family. There was one year when money was so tight that the only gift we gave to friends and family was cookie trays. (I made 18 different types of cookies that year!) To me, sometimes homemade gifts like this are treasured more than gifts you buy and wrap. Typically, what I do is bake lots of cookies over one or two days. I then freeze them until we get closer to Christmas. I then thaw all the cookies and make cookie trays to give away once the week of Christmas is upon us.

Every day between 11/30/11  and Christmas Eve, I will post 25 Days of Christmas Cookies. I would love your help! If you have a favorite cookie/bar to make this time of year, I would love for you to email me a picture of the finished product as well as a step by step recipe for it. I will then post your recipe and thousands of Addicted to Saving readers will get the chance to try out your recipe! Email me at addictedtosaving at hotmail dot com (all one word).

Day 9 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookes: Chocolate Mint Brownies

I first tried this yummy chocolaty mint treat when I was just a kid.  My aunt made it every Christmas and I have to say that my hands were constantly reaching for one brownie after another.  I know these are not cookies, but when I make my cookie trays, I always add these brownies because I think they are adorable with their green mint layer.  And, I cut them so that they are bite-sized which makes them more like a small piece of fudge.  This recipe is a bit more time and labor intensive than other bars or brownie recipes but it will be worth it in the end!

Ingredients

Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (114 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (65 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mint Layer:
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract or 1-2 tablespoons creme de menthe
green food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Glaze:
3 ounces (90 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.

Brownies:
1) In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate.
2) Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract.
3) Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition.
4) Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Pour the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.
5) Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. A toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies will come out almost clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool.

Mint Layer:
1) In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat all the ingredients until smooth.
2) Add a few drops of green food coloring if you want the frosting green. If the frosting is too thick, add a little extra cream. (The frosting should be just thin enough to spread.)
3) Spread the frosting evenly over the cooled brownie layer.
4) Place in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes or until firm.

Chocolate Glaze:
1) In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter.
2)Spread over the mint filling and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate glaze starts to dull.

To Serve: Remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 30 squares. It is a good idea to wipe your knife between cuts with a damp cloth. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days or else frozen.

Makes about 30 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares.

Christmas Cookies Recap:

Day 1 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookies Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms
Day 2 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Rainbow Cookies
Day 3 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Monster Cookies
Day 4 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Hot Cocoa Cookies
Day 5 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Jam Thumbprints
Day 6 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Day 7 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Lemon Sugar Cookies
Day 8 of 25 Days of Christmas Cookie Recipe: Easy as Fudge