Better-than-BYU Mint Brownies

My married daughters keep asking me to post recipes, but I'm hesitant because I don't have pictures of any of them. I'm like any other non-professional blogger/baker/chef, which means when I cook, I am usually cooking with a specific purpose OTHER than sharing on the web. These brownies, however, have been my MOST REQUESTED recipe of those who I've made them for, so I'm posting to have an easy place to send recipe-seekers to.

The past two years my youngest daughter has participated in her high school musical. When it's tech week (the week prior to the show), the kids start running the show immediately after school until 9 or 10 at night. During this week the parents of the participants bring in dinner for the cast and crew. Last year I signed up for "2 dozen hand-held treats" on 3 or 4 evenings, and I made a double batch of these brownies the first night. My daughter came home that night and said that the kids loved the brownies and hoped I would bring them again, which I did. They were a hit (no pun intended haha), so I also signed up to make them for the cast party. This year they were requested before tech week even began. It's safe to say I've made a double batch recipe at least a dozen times in the past year... and I've never taken a good picture of the finished brownies. I snapped these pictures of some that were left over from a neighborhood party my husband and I hosted last week -- these are actually half of a brownie, but I'll explain about brownie sizes after the recipe.

Better-than-BYU Mint Brownies

Brownie:
1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 cup flour

Mix butter, cocoa, and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in flour. Spread into a greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mint Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 to 3 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. mint extract
Green food coloring

Mix butter and powdered sugar. Add only enough milk to make a smooth consistency. Add mint extract and enough food coloring for a light green color. Frosting will be fairly thick. Spread over brownie layer and refrigerate until firm.

Chocolate topping:
1-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Melt chocolate chips and butter in microwave for 2 minutes on 80% power, stir to combine. If more time is needed, microwave in 20 second increments, then stir, until smooth. Pour over frosted brownies, covering mint frosting completely (an off-set spatula is your best friend). Refrigerate until topping is set and hardened. Let brownies sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Cut into 24 squares (I use a paper towel to wipe my knife with each cut for clean edges).

**Notes: I have primarily made these by doubling the brownie recipe and using a half-sheet pan. I generally only 1-and-a-half times the mint frosting and chocolate topping when doubling the recipe. In the pictures included with this post I fully doubled the mint frosting and chocolate topping, and they were REALLY rich. I think I like them better with the 1-1/2 recipe. If you love those thick layers, then by all means, fully double all recipes. IF you are only making a single recipe, you will have thicker layers unless you do the math to decrease the recipe size of toppings. That makes sense, right?

The half-pan doubled recipe can be cut into 48 servings... or 96 if you cut them in half again, which is perfect when there are other selections of treats. Those half servings also fit nicely into cupcake papers, as you can see from the second picture.

For full disclosure, here, I've never had a BYU mint brownie... I have heard about them. I have, however, had people who HAVE had them tell me these are better. I made them for my daughter Shilo's high school graduation party, and since she would be attending BYU that fall, just for fun I called them "Better-than-BYU Mint Brownies."

Mom-made is always better, right?

Creamy Peppermint Patties

I've had a few failures this year as I have made Christmas candy.

Some because I tried a new recipe (from an author who swore it was the easiest recipe for toffee), which resulted in a pound or two of butter + sugar + chocolate thrown away in the trash can.

I'm pretty sure I've dumped at least 4 pounds of butter this year.

AAAUUUUGGGHHH!

Other failures most likely came from my rush to git 'er done, or my never-ending attempts to multi-task, neither of which have done me any good.

But you're here to see a success story, so here it is.

My daughter, Lex, and her baby are staying with me for a few months while she patiently waits for her new home in Alabama to be built. Her husband is already working there, but she said she'd rather wait the majority of the 6-month process at my house than spending it (and a lot o' money) in a little apartment in a town where she hardly knows anyone. I'm thrilled to have her and my cute grandson here with us, so I think it's a win-win. 

Lex is the one who suggested we make the peppermint patties, since they were her favorite homemade Christmas treat when she was in high school. I haven't made them for a few years, but I'm almost ready to make them exclusively from here on out because they are easy and nearly no-fail (unless you accidentally leave them. after you have carefully packaged them in cute cellophane bags tied with twine, on the table where the winter sunshine pours in each morning-to-midday...then they melt and get stuck together. Don't ask me, in this year of many failures, how I know that haha).

Lexee's Favorite Peppermint Patties

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

2 tsp. peppermint extract

9 cups powdered sugar

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 Tbs. shortening

In large bowl (I use my 6 qt KitchenAid bowl) beat cream cheese and peppermint extract until smooth. (I use my cookie dough attachment.) Gradually add in powdered sugar, beating well. 

**Note: sometimes I only use 8 cups of powdered sugar, depending on how stiff the mixture feels. You want it to hold together well, so if it gets too dry it doesn't do that. 

Shape into 1" balls (I use a little cookie scoop, then roll in my hands), and place on waxed paper-line baking sheets (I use a silpat liner). Flatten into patties (I use the bottom of a glass, which I occasionally dip in flour to prevent the patties from sticking to the bottom of). 

**Note: I usually make 6 to eight balls at a time, then flatten - if you go too long before flattening the balls, they tend to dry out a bit and the edges crack. 

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.

In microwave, melt chips and shortening (I usually put them in for 1.5 minutes on cook power 7); stir until smooth and all lumps are gone. Dip patties in melted chocolate. I have done this using a fork, tapping it on the edge of the bowl to let excess chocolate drip off, but I now have a candy-dipping tool that is a little easier to use. Place patties on waxed paper (or silpat liner) and refrigerate until the chocolate is firm. 

Once the patties are firm, you can trim any unruly chocolate edges with {clean}scissors. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 4 dozen.

No, I am NOT a stylist or a photographer, but hopefully you can get the gist. Yes, I am a bit sloppy and ALWAYS in a hurry haha.

I have received a ton of compliments on these this year, and since no candy thermometer is involved, they are easy and pretty much no-fail (let's just say I've NEVER had to throw away a batch).

Way better than York, just sayin'.