Mint Chocolate Fudge Brownies

This one is obvious.

You take a proven winner (the World’s Best Fudge Brownie) and stuff it with something mint-tastic.

In this case, Ghiradelli’s Dark Chocolate & Mint Filled Bar fits the bill. In moments of laziness I have thrown a box of Junior Mints into the batter instead of taking the extra four minutes to layer the bar into the brownie batter, but you won’t get a layered surface of minty wonder (like in the picture off to the right- see that mint pocket? Does that excite you as much as it does me?) unless you use the bar. So read up and see how it goes.

(Oh, one gross thing- Ghiradelli describes their Mint Filled Bars as tantalizingly refreshing. Almost enough to make me not want to buy them again. If I ever use the word tantalizing to describe anything in a non-sarcastic way, please never read anything I post again. I am allowed to make up and use the word mint-tastic though.)

Last thing- one day I am going to be a super Wife to The Husband (who happens to love and request these brownies, and he doesn’t really request much- he’s a good guy) and put my own chocolate mint patties inside the batter instead of the store-bought bars. So many ideas… not enough hours in the weekend to bake.

Adapted from The World’s Best Fudge Brownies… a More Sweets, Please original!

4 oz. chopped unsweetened chocolate
(the better the chocolate, the better the brownie)

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons real vanilla

3 lightly beaten eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate & Mint Filled Bars
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 9 foil-lined pan.
2. Melt chocolate & butter in microwave for 2:15 minutes and stir.
3. Stir in sugar, then vanilla, then eggs, then salt, espresso powder (optional) & flour.
4. Stir in nuts &/or chocolate chips if you so desire.
5. Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared pan, place bars side by side on top of batter base, and spread remaining half of batter on top of mint bars.
6. Bake for 33 – 36 minutes (until center is just set).
7. Cool & cut into squares (be prepared to have to cut through some of the chocolate mint bars- makes it a bit more challenging but still worth it).
8. Indulge.
Tips:
- Want more mint? Sure you do. So here’s what you can do- mix up a quick Mint Glaze and drizzle it on top of the brownies after they have cooled. (Stir 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract and a few drops of milk to create a consistency like honey.)
- Plan to use the Junior Mints? I respect your lazy ass. So here’s the tip- freeze the Junior Mints before tossing into the batter, and they’ll retain some of their softness (instead of baking into a hard crisp- still mint-tastic, but in a tooth-chipping sort of way).
- Chill bars before cutting. You don’t want the ragged edges created when cutting a warm or room temperature bar, do you?
- Freeze by wrapping in foil and then putting in a ziploc bag. Not sure if they’ll last long in the freezer (or if any will make it there), but know it’s an option.
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January 26th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Brownies & Bars, Chocolate, Mint