grandma's Christmas Cookie Recipe Contest - Peppermint Brownies by Anne

A few years ago I held a Christmas Cookie Recipe Contest and today I'm very happy to share one of the recipes with you - Peppermint Brownies by Anne Pickering! Anne says these are a favorite at her house . . . I can see why they would be! Thank you Anne for sharing these with us!

Peppermint Brownies

10 oz unsalted butter

10 oz unsweetened chocolate

2 tsp peppermint tea leaves (I break open about 3-4 tea bags and use those, for extra minty flavor, use more)

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp peppermint extract

1/4 tsp salt

4 1/2 oz ( 1 cup) all purpose flour

2 oz semi sweet chocolate

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

2 oz white chocolate

Put rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and sides of 9x13 pan and line with parchment, allowing it to extend out the sides to act as handles to remove brownies later. Grease the paper.

Put 2 inch of water in small pot and heat to simmer. In a heatproof bowl, set over water. Melt 8 oz of butter and 8 oz of unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally with spatula until melted and uniform. Turn off heat but leave bowl over water.

In a food processor, finely grind the peppermint leaves with the sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, peppermint extract, salt, and peppermint sugar until just combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate. Slowly add the flour, gently folding it in with a spatula. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 min, until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Put pan on rack to cool (about 2 hrs). Using paper lining, lift brownies out. Peel paper off and put on a cutting board. 

Make glaze: 

Bring pot of water to simmer. Set heatproof bowl over pot and add semisweet chocolate, corn syrup, and remaining butter and unsweetened butter. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. Set aside. In a separate bowl, melt the white chocolate over the pan of simmering water. Remove from heat. (note: my white chocolate kept seizing up on me, adding water to it when it did made it go back to it's melted state, however, too little or too much water can make it worse, so add only if needed and slowly.)

Spread the semisweet glaze over cooled brownies in an even layer. Drizzle white chocolate over glaze. Use toothpick to drag white chocolate into the glaze. Lift the cutting board and tap firmly on the counter to settle the glaze. 

Refrigerate at least 20 min and up to 12 hrs. Cut into bars. (Note: A knife rinsed in HOT water then dried cuts clean)