Tasty Tuesday...Mint Brownies

I am going to share our current favorite-homemade-brownie recipe. It is a frequent request for a Family Home Evening treat.  The original idea came from my friend Celia.  She shared with me a delicious mint brownie recipe.  Then later we started using another brownie recipe from my friend Gianetta, and combined the two (the mint part from Celia, brownie part from Gianetta). I don't know if it's technically my recipe now, since I've changed some things.  Thanks Gianetta for a great recipe!  Here is my version:

Mint Brownies

Brownie
1/2 Cup butter
1 package chocolate chips, divided (semi or milk chocolate, 12 ounce)
1 1/2 Cup sugar  (isn't cup such a weird name for a measurement???)
1 1/4 Cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup nuts (optional...of course!)

Grease 9 x 13 pan; I like to line mine with foil then spray with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 250.  Set aside 1/3 cup chocolate chips in a small zip bag. In a large, microwaveable mixing bowl (or in a pan on the stove), melt butter with one cup chocolate chips. Check and stir every 20 or 30 seconds till melted.  [I am a lazy baker, and this is how I really make them at home.]  Once melted add sugar, flour, vanilla, baking powder and salt (if you melted the chocolate chips and butter on the stove, then pour into a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and vanilla on top). Add the eggs.  (If you add the eggs right into the hot chocolate mixture, you might get scrambled eggs!  So I put in the other ingredients on top of the chocolate mixture, then add the eggs.)  Mix ingredients together.  Stir in remaining chocolate chips (about 2/3 of a cup).   Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  Cool. 

Frosting
1 1/4 Cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened 
1 1/2 Tablespoons milk or cream--use more or less for desired consistency
1/4 teaspoon mint extract



Combine together in a small bowl using a fork (a hand mixer works fine too). Add food coloring if desired--pink was the color of choice this week...next week I think it will be purple. Spread over cooled brownies.  The frosting is just a thin layer.  You can make more if desired, but the brownies are so good on their own, too much frosting might be a bad thing!

Chocolate Drizzle
1/3 Cup chocolate chips set aside earlier in small zip bag
1 teaspoon shortening



Add shortening into bag with chocolate chips.  Put bag in the microwave, melt; check every 10-20 seconds.  In between microwave melt times, hold bag upright and smoosh the bag with your fingers to combine the chocolate and the shortening--warning it can get HOT! An unmelted chocolate chip will melt easily with a little finger work. Once melted, snip a small hole in the corner of the bag.  Drizzle chocolate over frosting.

Eat quickly...they disappear fast!



~Ruth