Peppermint Bark Frosted Brownies

I have been baking like crazy this month! Not that you'd know it with the lack of blogging that's been going on around here! I have so many festive recipes still to blog...and I know Christmas is over but I can eat peppermint and chocolate any day of the week and you can always pin these for next year! 

I made some homemade peppermint bark for the first time ever! We don't get bark in England (aside from in Costco, which doesn't really count since it's American anyways!) so I've always been a fan of it! It's delicious to eat by itself or to use in recipes! Watch out for some peppermint bark cheesecake truffles that I'll be blogging soon too!

There was a Christmas dinner at my work and I signed up to bring desserts.  I made these super moist and fudgy brownies (the base brownie recipe is my new fave), slathered on some creamy chocolate frosting..

and finished with a sprinkling of chopped up homemade bark, and I also melted some candy cane peppermint kisses down to drizzle across the top tying the whole peppermint theme together! 

The principal at my school said they were the best brownies she had ever eaten, so I took that as a pretty good compliment!

Peppermint Bark Frosted Brownies:

Makes 16

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

4oz (110g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1 stick (110g) unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups (250g) caster sugar

1/2 cup (65g) plain flour

For the frosting:

2 cups (500g) icing sugar

1 stick (110g) unsalted butter

1/2 cup dark/semi sweet chocolate chips, melted

2 tbsp semi skimmed milk

1 1/2 cups chopped up peppermint bark

1/3 cup candy cane peppermint kisses

In a heatproof bowl above a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together.  Once completely melted, stir in the vanilla and salt.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a brownie tin, I used a 9x9"dish.

Whisk the sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture, and add the eggs one at a time - beating well after each addition.  Stir in the flour using a metal spoon.

Pour into your pre prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes.  I always check mine around the 18 minute mark because you really don't want to over bake these.  Once out of the oven, immediately put the brownie pan into the freezer (make sure you put a tea towel underneath it first) and leave them to get nice and fudgy in there while you make the frosting.

Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.  I usually add the sugar one cup at a time to avoid icing completely covering my kitchen.  Melt the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals.  Once cool, beat it into the frosting.  Add the milk and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy.

Once the frosting is finished, remove the brownies from the freezer and from the pan.  Using a palette knife, slather the brownie slab with the frosting.  Chop it into squares whilst still semi frozen as this gives you the neatest slices.  Add the chopped up peppermint bark and drizzle with candy cane kisses.

Serve and enjoy!