It’s hard to go wrong with chocolate, mint, and more chocolate! Brownies topped with a layer of cream cheese mint frosting and then a fudgy ganache…what more could you ask for?
Brownies
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/3 cup butter
3 ½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
6 eggs
2 cups unbleached flour
Melt chocolate and butter in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring so that the chocolate does not burn. Cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, vanilla, and eggs on high speed for about 5 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Add flour and mix just until combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes until done (brownies will start to pull away from the edge of the pan). Cool completely before frosting.
Mint Frosting
1 pkg. cream cheese (3 ounce size) at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup crème de menthe
Mix all ingredients until they are smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually so that it does not become too stiff. More or less sugar may be needed, depending on the humidity. Spread evenly over cooled brownies.
Chocolate Ganache
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces sweet dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
6 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Heat chocolate and whipping cream over medium heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in butter until completely melted. Allow mixture to cool for 15 minutes; add vanilla. Spread over frosted brownies and refrigerate until firm. After serving, keep unused portion refrigerated. Serves 16-20.
