Christmas Mint Choc Chip Brownies

I have dreamed about the day when a bag of these babies would make their way into my possession, I kid you not! 

For years I have been left envying the many many blogs who would use them freely in their baking, longing for the day when I would be one of those bloggers!

So they finally came through my letterbox at the end of November thanks to The Stateside Candy Co.  The wait was over...but I knew I needed to make something really spectacular to do them justice! When I've seen them around in the past, it has usually been in double chocolate cookies with their green faces peeping through.  Cookies weren't going to cut it.  I decided brownies would be kind of standard too...

until I came across this brownie for inspiration and I knew what I had to do! 

So I began baking using this new brownie recipe, because trying out new brownie recipes never gets old for me.  This one was really moist and fudgy, just what I was hoping for.  I threw in the green mint baking chips at this stage.

Then, I whipped up a mint choc chip buttercream which really tasted like melted mint chop ice cream - you have got to try it!

The icing on the brownie was a layer of melted chocolate, and then I couldn't resist drizzling with that neon green chocolate, and adding a few Christmas tree sprinkles since I baked these brownies to aid us in putting up our Christmas tree on December 1st! 

Mint Choc Chip Brownies:

Makes 12

From: Not Rachael Ray and Melissa Bakes

For the brownie layer:

1 cup butter

2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

230g mint baking chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. 
Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring well to combine. Whisk in the vanilla and then the eggs. Blend well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. 
Throw the mint chips in a bowl with some flour, make sure they are coated (this will ensure even distribution).
Gently stir in the mint baking chips. 
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 32-35 minutes, until the brownies are set in the middle but not over baked.  You want some moist crumbs still remaining when you insert a knife. Let cool completely.

For the frosting layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 1/2 cups icing sugar

2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk

1/2 cup plain chocolate, chopped coarsely

a few drops of green food colouring

While the brownie is cooling make the frosting. 

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla and peppermint extract.

Add in the icing sugar one cup at a time, and then add in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth and desired consistency has been reached.  It will be quite a soft frosting (not one that could be piped).

Stir in the food colouring (if desired) and then fold in the chocolate chips.

For the chocolate layer:

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 tbsp vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine 2 cups of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of oil.  

Melt in microwave in 30 second intervals, or over a double boiler.

To Assemble:

Spread a generous layer of mint choc chip frosting over the cooled brownie with a palette knife.  Try and ensure it is as even as possible.  This will help with the overall presentation.

Once the melted chocolate has cooled for a minute pour it over the frosting layer.  

Melt some of the green baking chips in a small bowl and drizzle over the chocolate layer.

Sprinkle with Christmas tree edibles and put in the fridge for the chocolate layer to harden.

Once it is hard, cut into squares and serve.

I am fully aware that over 50% of the brownies I have baked on this blog involve mint...occasionally double mint and sometimes even triple mint so maybe the mint brownie thing is getting old, but really can mint paired with chocolate and baked in a brownie ever get old? Not for me it can't!