Coconut Cream Brownies

Happy Halloween friends! I realize that I'm getting to this late, so now you're all probably passed out on the floor in a candy coma. So, uh, sorry about that. I should have gotten this to you before all the Halloween parties... Because it's pretty much like a Mounds Bar on steroids. But don't worry because there are still plenty of festivities coming up in the next few months and I think these would be a beautiful little addition for your Christmas cookie plate this year.

I actually made them for our book club. We read by Brandon Sanderson and so I made us some chalkling brownies. I don't have a great picture of those since it was night and I was rushing getting things ready for book club.

And then, between book club and my family (and, uh, my own snitching of these amazing brownies) I only had one lonely soldier left when I did get around to getting some decent pictures. At least he posed well for the camera.

This is a fancy-looking brownie, but pretty easy to make. You do need to have your regular brownies cooled first, so be prepared for that time-wise.

To make them, use THIS RECIPE for brownies.

Then THIS RECIPE for the coconut cream and ganache.

Now, go on and enjoy that sugar coma.

Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies

 Pinterest is whipping out the fitness videos, these people just did a fitness Adele spoof, and I admit that we had salmon and zoodles for dinner tonight because... just because the roast/potato/cookie motif was getting a little old.

But let's not pretend there aren't those New Year's parties coming up. Or that you don't have ten billion leftover candy canes. Because I know you do. I remember my mom saving the extra candy canes from year to year--she'd just put them in the boxes with the other Christmas stuff and out they'd come for the next year (wonder why nobody ate them...). I, myself, in my extreme cheapskatery have been known to buy them post Christmas (oh, look, they're $.10 instead of a that whopping $.99; I'll save them for next year). And in my absolute defense, the sell-by dates weren't until the next year either, so if I didn't buy them cheap, the companies who make those things were probably just going to put them in their proverbial Christmas boxes and bring them out the next year too.

But perhaps we can all agree that there are better things to do with leftover candy canes than save them year after year. This one is so much better that you'll never have to save a candy cane again. Though you might have to pin a few extra fitness videos. You can thank me later.

Note: These are ridiculously, crazily over-the-top. In fact, I didn't think they'd be worth it. They are, friends, they are.

Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies
Makes 1 9x13 inch pan of brownies
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Cost: $8.00 (no, they're not really cheap, but don't worry--that's coming with the fitness videos. And to be fair they're way cheaper than any brownie you'll buy at Starbucks, so there you go. They're still just $.33/brownie)
$2.65 for brownies, 1.35 for chocolate chips, 2.00 for white chocolate chips, 2.00 for Andes mints (though to keep price down, use leftover candy from Christmas because you know you probably have some), milk: .10

1 recipe for Kip's brownies
4 oz Andes mints (or other leftover Christmas candy as long as it's chocolate-y or minty)
1 1/2 C chocolate chips
4 candy canes, chopped (or whizzed in a blender, which is so much better)
White Chocolate Ganache:
1 1/2 C white chocolate chips (a higher quality chip will incorporate better with the milk)
3/4 C milk or half and half

Here's what you do:

1. Make the batter for Kip's brownies
2. Pour half of it (a largish half--you can see in the pics above that I didn't pour enough into my bottom layer and the Andes mints were nearer to the bottom; not a problem, but...) into your 9x13 inch pan and spread around
3. Chop or break Andes mints (or other Christmas candy) and sprinkle over batter.
4. Pour remaining batter over candy and spread evenly.
5. Bake according to directions (note: brownies in metal pans bake quicker than brownies in glass; we use glass, so possibly cut some time if using metal)
6. When brownies are done and HOT, pour chocolate chips over top of them. Allow to melt and spread the chocolate.
7. Let chocolate cool (I did this overnight, but you can always refrigerate or freeze if you need it that day).
8. Make white chocolate ganache. Pour over chocolate layer
9. Sprinkle chopped candy canes over top of this. I hate chopping candy canes because they shatter and go everywhere, so I put mine in my magic bullet and gave it a whiz. They chopped beautifully and even got kind of powdery. I didn't think I'd like this, but I loved it--it was delicious and made it so the candy cane didn't overpower the brownie or get stuck in clumps in your molars.

And that's it. Hope you got your fitness videos pinned.

Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Hope you're all celebrating your labors today. I brought peanut butter brownies to the party. Yes, it was very thoughtful of me.

The first time I made these (or tried to) was for an actual party. But I didn't give myself enough time and I put my husband in charge of taking the brownies out of the oven. Well, they looked done and he took them out and then I shoved them in the fridge to try to cool them off and made the frosting and then frosted them two minutes before we had to leave. When we got to the party, the frosting had melted/separated, which made them look creepy and gross, and the brownies (save for the edges) were gloppy and rawish. Nevertheless, they got eaten up--every one, and before many other foods. Perhaps you're thinking that this story simply illustrates that my friends don't have very discerning tastes. But I took it as a sign. If the brownies could be that desirable totally messed up, think how rocking they would be cooked and with non-separated frosting (such high standards, I know).

And it was true. These brownies are completely rocking. I fully appreciate a good, regular brownie, but these transform a regular brownie into something special. You could bring it to a picnic OR serve it at a dinner party. Despite my first mess up, they're not hard either, although you truly must give the brownies time to cool before frosting them, so plan for that.

Fudgy Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
makes 1 9x13 inch pan
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cool time: 2 hours
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Cost:$3.55 for the brownie part, $5.33 for all. That's more expensive than many of the treats I make, but note that if it makes 26 brownies, that's only $.20/serving
(butter: .80, chocolate chips: 1.70, sugar: .50, eggs: .30, flour: .07, cocoa: .18)
Frosting: $1.50 
(cream cheese: .60, butter: .25, sugar: .35, peanut butter: .30)
Chocolate Drizzle: $.28
(chocolate: .25, butter: .03)

I used the same fudgy brownie recipe I use for my mint brownies. It's a brownie that always does well with frosting.

1 1/2 (3/4 C) sticks salted butter
10 1/2 oz chocolate chips (just less than 1 bag)
1 1/2 C brown sugar (I think white would also work just as well)
3 eggs
1 generous tsp vanilla
3/4 C flour
6 Tbsp cocoa

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan. 

Melt butter, chocolate, and sugar in microwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds. (Alternately, you can do this in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.) 

Allow it to cool just a minute or two and add vanilla. Whisk in eggs (whisk them in so you don't risk getting blobs of egg in your batter--it's not hard; you just don't want it to sit in warm chocolate for any length of time). 

Combine flour and cocoa. Add to wet mixture. 

Spread batter in your pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out pretty much clean (which means that if it has a few moist crumbs stuck to it, all the better, but you don't want it coming out with batter clinging to it). Mine cooked up in pretty much exactly 20 minutes. 

Let cool completely. That's going to take a good couple hours. You might be able to speed it up by putting it in the fridge or freezer, but evenso it's going to take some time.  

Frosting:

5 oz cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 stick (1/4 C) butter, at room temp
2 1/2 C confectioners' sugar
1/3 C smooth peanut butter (NOT all-natural because that may cause the oil to separate out)

Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar a cup at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add peanut butter and beat thoroughly. Do not, I repeat do not, get a spoon and start eating it right them and there. Remember your cake. And your butt. They will both thank you not to consume all of this straight up out of the bowl.

Chocolate Drizzle: 

For the chocolate drizzle, you're going to make an unsweetened drizzle. Have a little faith. It plays with the super sweet brownie in a very coy manner. If you don't have faith or believe that a brownie should be coy, you may substitute a dark chocolate instead of unsweetened chocolate. 

1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt together in microwave, stirring every 15-20 seconds. 

Pour over mint frosting in stripes as prettily as you can (which is surely prettier than I can). 

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Okay, just wow.

You know when you try a lot of different recipes from the internet, you get used to a certain kind of disappointment when something is labeled with a lot of words you love--you know the ones--"Nutella pumpkin snickerdoodle ice cream strudels" or "Fudgy creme brulee nut butterfinger cream sauce." These recipes are either trying too hard to be something they just aren't. Or combining way too many things into something that is distinctly subpar. Or maybe they're trying to hit search engine gold. Or maybe they're just pregnant and trying to cover all their cravings in one manic dessert (yup, it's usually a dessert).

I admit that I almost kind of expected that with these. I mean I love love love red velvet cake. And I love love love brownies. Not only that, but red velvet cake reminds me of Valentine's Day with my mother. And brownies were the first thing Kip ever gave me. And cheesecake, well, that's just something I love for myself. So not only am I bringing food expectation to this proverbial table, but I am also demanding some emotional fulfillment here. Let me just say yes, yes, and YES. This recipe was the most perfect red velvet brownie I can imagine. There was sufficient chocolate to make for a dense, delicious brownie. But there was still that distinct flavor and moist texture that make for perfect red velvet cake. Add some pretty swirls of cheesecake and we are on.

So, Ellie, from The Bitchin' Kitchen, let me just say that you have a new number one fan. I got Ellie this month for Secret Recipe Club and these brownies were such a hit that I cannot wait to try everything else I pinned from her site. Also, I really really enjoyed reading her blog. Her writing is fun and funny and not (like some people I might happen to know or maybe even be) too long.

Make these. Love these. And Happy Valentine's Day.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
from The Bitchin' Kitchen
Makes 8x8 inch pan of brownies (16 brownies)
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Cost: $3.10 or about $.20/brownie
butter: .60, chocolate.50, sugar: .16, eggs: .10, food coloring: .50. flour .10, cream cheese: 1.00, sugar: .04, egg: .10

1/2 C butter
2 oz dark chocolate (I used 60% Ghiradelli chips)
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 C flour
1/4 tsp salt

For cheesecake top:
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. (Note: I did this, though I don't usually line my brownie pans because I am intensely lazy, but it really was nice when they were done and cool and I could just pull those brownies right out of the pan. However, if you just want to grease your pan, I think that would work too.)

Combine butter and dark chocolate in microwavable dish and microwave in 20 second intervals, mixing in between until all is melted and smooth. Let it sit while you prepare the rest.

In large bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, vanilla, and food coloring. Still beating, add chocolate/butter mixture. Add flour and salt. Don't overbeat the flour, okay. Just mix it until it's mixed in.

Spread this onto your pan. Then make the cheesecake part.

Beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add egg. Add vanilla. Beat until well combined. (Note: I did not use all my cheese cake batter--only about 2/3 of it. However, I could have for a thicker cheesecake part and would not have regretted it. If, however, you want less cheesecake than brownie, halve this part of the recipe or use whatever leftovers you've got as mini-cheesecakes in ramekins or muffin tins. I swirled a drop of food coloring in and got 2 pink swirly mini-cheesecakes. Bake these until 160 degrees in the middle.)

Once your cheesecake is ready, plop it onto your brownie batter (mine was a little runny since I softened my cream cheese too much, but it worked anyway). Then take a knife and use it to swirl the cheesecake into the brownie. Stick the knife deep into the brownie batter so that you get a good swirl.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until you can stick a knife into it and have it come out without brownie batter.

Cool before serving (warm cheesecake just isn't my thing).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Cheap Eat Challenge, Part 2: Watch as our family of 6 eats on less than $10/day.

My love of brownies began with the love of the man who would become my husband. New lovers (I say that to be poetic; we were more in the people-who-are-kind-of-starting-to-like-each-other stage) are always introducing each other to new things. Lucky for me, Kip's thing was chocolate--real chocolate in really good chocolate ways.

I've already shared Kip's brownies. Below you get an equally good brownie with even more chocolate. Hold me.

Note: I published this originally as a guest blogger on somethingswanky.com.

Dark Chocolate Brownies
adapted very slightly from smittenkitchen
makes 8x8 inch pan
Prep time: 7 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

10 Tbsp butter
1 1/4 C sugar (I thought this could lose the 1/4 C)
3/4 C plus 2 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
1/2 pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 C all-purpose flour

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter (in chunks), sugar, cocoa, and salt if using. Microwave it in 20-second intervals until it's quite warm, but won't burn your finger. It'll be plenty grainy still, so don't worry.

Add vanilla extract. Whisk in eggs. (If you've accidentally gotten your batter crazy hot, give it a few minutes to cool down before adding the eggs.) Stir until well-blended, smooth, and shiny. Add the flour and mix it with a wooden spoon for a minute or so.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Note: The brownies pictured above were a bit hastily cut. We wanted them, like, immediately, and didn't mind an, er, rustic look with the ragged edges. However, if you want a clean cut, put them in the refrigerator or freezer and cut the brownie cold. They'll be prettier, but you'll have to wait for it.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Peanut Butter Caramel Brownies

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 eats, or tries to, on $6/day.

This month I've had the happy privilege of participating in The Secret Recipe Club, hosted by Amanda's Cookin'. Each participant is assigned another participant's blog. We secretly make one of his/her recipes and then--surprise--post it on a certain date. If you've got a food blog and you're interested, you should join up.

I got plenty lucky as I was assigned The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honey Bunch for the month of June. Besides being, like, the best name ever for a blog, Shelby Mae (also the best name ever) had plenty of recipes I was eager to try. Of course there was one with my family's name on it: Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies. So I made that one first. And it did not disappoint.

You begin by making the peanut butter caramel, then plop it onto a brownie, then swirl it in and bake.

I realize caramel can be a little frightening. It always makes me a wee bit nervous too. I've burned my share. And crystalized my share. I've cried over caramel and wasted a lot of sugar and almost given up. And then I discovered a full-proof method for making it, compliments of The New Best Recipe. And sure enough it hasn't failed me yet. It is that method I describe below. (In fact, I plan to give it its very own post tomorrow.) So, fear not, caramel lovers. May you never go back to the nasty stuff in a jar at the grocery store again.

Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies
from grumpyshoneybunch
Makes 9x13 inch pan
Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Cost: Let's not talk about it, okay: $3.95
(cream: .50, sugar: .05, PB: .45; butter: 1.15, sugar: .50, flour: .15, eggs: .40, cocoa:  .30, chocolate bar: 2.00, though if you use the equivalent of dark chocolate chips, it's only about .45)

Caramel Sauce:
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C water
1/2 C creamy peanut butter (probably not a natural kind as you don't want things separating out--I'm not sure they would, but don't take the chance)
1 Tbsp corn syrup
pinch sea salt
1/8 tsp vanilla

Bring the cream to a simmer. (I just warmed mine.)

Put sugar in a mound in a saucepan. Pour water in pan and cover pan with lid. Turn heat to medium and just let it boil along until the bubbles just start changing to a darker color. Remove lid to pan and reduce heat somewhat. Don't touch it. Don't stir it. Just let it keep boiling until it gets to an amber color. (Note: If your oven is a wee bit un-level like mine is, turn the pot occasionally by quarter turns so that the sugar caramelizes at a fairly even rate). This method takes several minutes.

While the sugar is boiling, you might want to measure out your other ingredients and have them ready as the next step moves kind of fast.

Take amber sugar off the heat. Pour your cream in, whisking as you pour. It'll bubble up a lot. Don't worry, just keep whisking. After the cream is incorporated whisk in peanut butter, corn syrup, sea salt, and the vanilla until all is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool until thickened at room temperature, about 30 minutes. (I may have cheated on mine and not waited quite that long.)

Brownie Batter:
1 C butter, melted
3 C white sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 3.5 oz Lindt Dark Chocolate Bar with Sea Salt, broken into pieces (I subbed some dark chocolate discs and threw in a pinch of sea salt, but I wished I'd used the Lindt Bar as I think it would have had a better flavor)

Preheat oven to 350. You can line your9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, tinfoil, or just lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir sugar into melted butter. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. add vanilla.

In separate bowl combine remaining dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate pieces. Fold this into the wet ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.

Drop 8 spoonfulls of peanut butter caramel on top of brownie batter. Drag a knife through the batter and the caramel to swirl. I have the swirling skills of a penguin. I don't know why. It's sort of an issue I have. Mine always comes out kind of just on top instead of swirled interestingly. It tasted good anyway, but wasn't as pretty as Shelby Mae's.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (mine took 37 minutes).

Cool completely before cutting.

Note: If you don't like peanut butter or you're allergic, I'd bet you can use 1/2 C butter and make a regular caramel to swirl in. I'm actually itching to try this myself and plan to do so next time I try brownies.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

This and all the sweet recipes I managed to make this week will be posted to Sweets for a Saturday and Something Swanky

Kip's Brownies

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch as our family of 6 tries to nurse an excessive chocolate habit while still eating on $6/day.

I know most people don't have strong sentimental feelings about brownies. I know that for most people they're an easy, fast treat that begins with the contents of a box. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But I will say that there is something better than that. And not much harder. And a little cheaper (when you include the ingredients you add to brownie mix and take its size into account). And did I mention better.

And also (and this is the part where I get a little wonky and sentimental and all) so much more meaningful than that. Brownies were the first gift Kip ever gave me. You may have heard that story before. Those brownies were good. Those brownies were better. And I like remembering that. I like remembering that the start of our homemade life together--the life where we raise children and ducks and trees and flowers, the life where we cannot seem to refrain from digging out an additional garden plot each spring, even though we swear we will not every year--began with a plate of brownies better than any brownies I'd had before, brownies that were made by a loving hand.

Oh, but the story doesn't even stop there. Because in addition to their sentimental gooey loviness, these brownies have a practical side as well. Which of course any marriage that is going to last more than 3 months does too. For starters, these  brownies contain a mere 6 ingredients (that's only 3 more than the boxed variety in case your math skills just faltered). They're easy to assemble. My sister-in-law once told me that she sometimes just mixes them up in the pan. And they can be messed up in any number of ways and still turn out great. How, pray tell, can they be messed up? Well, let me tell you.

1. They can be undercooked. We've undercooked them on a couple of occasions, let them cool, cut them up, realized they were raw, put them back in the oven, and then taken them out again 20 minutes later. In fact, it just so happens that that was the case with our last batch--the one pictured above. The top comes out a little crispy, but the middle is still all tender goodness (and for those who enjoy a little diversity in their textures, these might even be better). And if you want a brownie that's going to be perfect in ice cream, this is just the mess up for you. The ice cream will soften the crispy edges without it all getting gooberiffic.
2. The flour can be completely forgotten. I did this once and the sugar and butter made a sort of caramel layer on the bottom that I found so completely awesome, I've been meaning to do it again. We ate it with whipped cream. Oh my. For full discolusure, I should say that although Kip ate plenty of the flour-free brownies, he prefers the original.
3. They can be made in a toaster oven. I know this because before I knew Kip, I knew these brownies. What, you say, incredulous at this plot twist/love triangle; how can this be. Yes, it's true. I didn't know I knew these brownies, but I did. When I was on a mission for my church in a far off land, we had some older missionaries--the Bakkers--in our area. Zuster Bakker made these mission-famous brownies. In the toaster oven. Because those mission apartments were sometimes lacking in the oven department (the Dutch don't bake as much as we Americans do). They were a breath of sweet warm American at times like Christmas when we were feeling a little lonesome. Then I got home, met Kip, and forgot about the Bakkers' brownies in my new love affair with Kip's brownies. And then one day, I learned that Kip's family had gotten the recipe for their brownies from a woman at their church--a woman by the name of Bakker. A woman who showed up at our wedding reception knowing both the bride and the groom. Indeed. No wonder my feelings for brownies run deep.
4. These brownies can be made with margarine. I will not say I recommend this, but it can be done (don't try it with cookies; blech.) I must also say that the margarine brownies are not as good. They taste, in fact, a lot more like a boxed brownie--in other words, perfectly edible, tasty even, but not the utter delightbuttery brownies are.

The only thing these brownies don't withstand well is extreme overcooking. No brownie withstands this well. Sure, you can eat them if you burn them. But they're not nearly as good.

In summary: Homemade brownies plus marriage equals good. Try it. (Hi, Bakkers, thanks for the recipe--we're doing fine and we have four kids now; can you believe it. They like your brownies too.)

Kip's Brownies
Makes 9x13 (we won't discuss how many servings that is or isn't or should or shouldn't be)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Cost: $2.65
( butter: 1.15, cocoa: .60, sugar: .35, eggs: .40, flour: .15)

1 C butter (2 sticks)--we use salted; if you don't, you'll want to add 1/4 tsp salt
1 C cocoa
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
Note: Feel free to add in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or to sub 1/4 mint extract for the vanilla.

Beat or mix butter and sugar (we usually melt or significantly soften the butter). Beat or mix in eggs and vanilla. Add cocoa. Add flour.

Spread into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan (unless you've just mixed it in the pan, lazy style--in which case I salute you).

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (be sure you're not sticking it in a chocolate chip).

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Cheap Eat Challenge: Watch our family of 6 try to eat on $6/day while succumbing to occasional temptation.

I was first introduced to chocolate mint brownies in college. We were from two different worlds--mint brownies and I. I lived in a stringent low-fat land in which I studied a lot and ate cold spaghetti nearly every day because it was cheap and because I stayed on campus for 12 hours most days. And mint brownies lived in a glass case in the creamery, gazing upon me each time I passed. I may have gazed back a time or two. They were, after all, lovely--the dark, dense underlayer topped with a delicate green frosting and garnished with stripes of smooth brunette lines.

Of course they had a reputation, as things like that so often do.

And yet, I reasoned, we could still be friends. Get together some Friday night for tall glasses of cold milk. Chat a little bit, get to know each other. Surely there could be no harm in that.

Now I know what you're thinking, but I swear it wasn't like that. We were just friends. I mean, I don't see why an attractive, sweet, perhaps slightly decadent confection and I can't just be friends, okay.

So if you're feeling friendly, give these a whirl tonight. Although I should tell you, you might want to bring a chaperone.

Chocolate Mint Brownies
loosely adapted from smittenkitchen and pioneer woman's tasty kitchen
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
You'll also need to plan wait time (1- 1 1/2 hours) for the brownies to cool.
Cost: um, too much, but that's the kind of brownie this is, so just go with it. $3.55 for the brownie part; $4.93 for all
(butter: .80, chocolate chips: 1.70, sugar: .50, eggs: .30, flour: .07, cocoa: .18)

Note: Any favorite fudgy brownie will work, so if you just want to try the method with your favorite fudgy brownie, go for it, although I must say that this is a very very good brownie recipe. Also, I highly discourage using boxed brownies, but then I will admit to having very intense feelings (um, I mean very friendly feelings) about brownies.

1 1/2 (3/4 C) sticks salted butter
10 1/2 oz chocolate chips (just less than 1 bag)
1 1/2 C brown sugar (I think white would also work just as well)
3 eggs
1 generous tsp vanilla
3/4 C flour
6 Tbsp cocoa

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

Melt butter, chocolate, and sugar in micrwave, stirring every 20-30 seconds. (Alternately, you can do this in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.)

Allow it to cool just a minute or two and add vanilla. Whisk in eggs (whisk them in so you don't risk getting blobs of egg in your batter--it's not hard; you just don't want it to sit in warm chocolate for any length of time).

Combine flour and cocoa. Add to wet mixture.

Spread batter in your pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out pretty much clean (which means that if it has a few moist crumbs stuck to it, all the better, but you don't want it coming out with batter clinging to it). Mine cooked up in pretty much exactly 20 minutes.

Let cool completely. (And by 'completely' I mean until you become too impatient to wait any longer and put the mint frosting on even if the bottom of the pan is still warm. But seriously, don't go slathering it on there while the brownies are still hot, unless you plan to hide in your bathroom and scoop it out by the spoonful while shouting to your kids that you need some privacy so please go ask Daddy for help. It's not that this is a bad idea, unless of course, you were supposed to be serving the brownies to guests. Also, you forgot your chaperone--just saying.)

Mint Frosting:
Cost: $1.10
(butter: .55, milk: .02, powdered sugar: .40, extract: .03)

1/2 C butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk
2 C powdered sugar
1/2-1 tsp peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring (optional)

Beat it all together until smooth and lovely. Add the food coloring if you will, although white mint is awesome too.

Darkest Chocolate Glaze:
Cost: $.28
(chocolate: .25, butter: .03)

1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt together in microwave, stirring every 15-20 seconds.

Pour over mint frosting in stripes as prettily as you can (which is surely prettier than I can).

NOTE: It's a good idea to line your pan with foil. These brownies are very fudgy and can be a little hard to get out of the pan--you can manage of course, but if you'd like to line the pan, it makes it easier. When I say 'line the pan' I mean drape the foil over the edges, or at least make it so it goes up the edges. Then you can lift the brownies out once they're cool. Here's a picture since I don't have one of my own.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Not what you're craving (who are you and what are you doing on this site?), try Sweets for a Saturday. Or Sweet Tooth Friday.