Liza's Mint Brownies

Who doesn't love brownies?  I know I do, but I also love mint, specifically chocolate mint.  So, I decided to try making mint brownies and the result was/is spectacular!

These brownies have the same look and texture of "normal" brownies with the added benefit of mint flavor.  I get raves on these brownies any time I serve them.  My boys get excited if they come home and smell that I've made a batch of these treats.  The only person who doesn't care for them is my husband because he doesn't like mint.  He thinks I've ruined a good batch of brownies when I've added the mint.  We really don't mind, as we figure there are more mint brownies for us!  The rest of us give this recipe 9's and 10's on the Melnarik rating scale.

The first thing I do is prepare my 9- x 13-inch baking pan.  I line it with non-stick foil, leaving a couple of inches of foil to hang over each end.  If you do not have the non-stick foil, then the foil you use will need to be greased.  I do this not only to ensure easy clean up, but also to aid in quicker cooling of the brownies and it allows a much easier way to cut them once cooled.  I will explain fully later.

One of the reasons this recipe is so simply is that I use the Ghiradelli brownie mix.  I try to always have this product on hand in case I need to whip up a dessert for something.  I like to buy the large box from Costco, as it contains 6 pouches, of which I use 2 for this recipe.  Individual boxes are available in most grocery stores also. The amounts of the additional ingredients needed to make the brownies are listed on the package.

To begin, following the directions on the box, in a medium bowl I combine the oil and the egg for one batch of brownies, mixing thoroughly.

To that, I add one package of the brownie mix.

I mix these together using about 40 strokes, so as to not overwork the batter.  There will still be some lumps (some are the chocolate chunks), but don't worry about them.

This first batch of brownie mix gets spread on the foil in the baking pan.

I top this with a layer of mint patties. I had this bag for a while, and during the heat waves at the beginning of October, they must have gotten warm enough that when they cooled, they got this whitish film on them.  They are still perfectly good to use if this happens.  The main thing here is to use the right type of mint patties.  DO NOT USE York Peppermint Patties as they are too thick!  From experience, I know that they don't melt completely into the brownies (this is what you want to have happen) and they can bubble up over the sides of the pan and make a horrible mess in your oven!  I use the Palmer brand.  Using the 14 oz. bag means there are only 2 patties left over.  Each patty is approximately 1-1/2 inches in diameter and not even 1/4 inch thick.  They are perfect for this recipe.  As you can see from the picture, I completely cover the brownie batter with mints, cutting some patties in half to fit. 

I mix up a second batch of the brownies in the exact same way as the first and spread it on top of the mints.  Into the oven it goes for 10 minutes longer than the box calls for when baking a 9- x 10-inch dish (or double recipe) of the brownies.

When they come out of the oven, they smell heavenly.  I leave them in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes.

Because brownies are so dense, they take a very long time to cool.  Lining the pan with foil helps speed the process a little bit.  By using the extended foil at the ends of the pan as handles, I lift the whole thing out of the pan and place it on the cooling rack.  This way, the brownies are no longer surrounded by the hot pan which would need to cool before the brownies begin to cool, and the air can get completely around them to help them cool faster.  Sometimes I elevate my cooling rack on inverted snack cups (see my Stromboli recipe) to help with the air flow.  I'm not saying they will cool fast, just more quickly than they would if they were left to cool in the pan.

The other benefit to using the foil is the ease in cutting the completed brownies.  I move the foil with the brownies to a cutting board (to protect my table).  Then, using a sharp large knife and and a rocking motion, I can cut them in no time!  This is much faster than using the sawing method while cutting brownies in the pan.

From the first picture at the top, you can see that the mints have melted completely into the brownies, which are moist and delicious.  Whenever I take these mint brownies to a function, I always prepare a small sign indicating they are mint brownies.  That way, if there are other people like my husband, they won't be disappointed.  Also, you won't find any thrown away in the trash, as true mint chocolate lovers will savor every morsel!  Enjoy!