Chocolate Mint Brownie Squares
By: Carrie Barr
Published: Monday, November 30, 2009 - 12:04pm

Ingredients




For brownie layer
3/4 cup unsalted butter
10 1/2 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60%%
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
For mint ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 ounces fine-quality white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons green crème de menthe
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
For chocolate ganache
1 cup heavy cream
10 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

Preparation

1 Brownie layer: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil. 2 Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined. 3 Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours. 4 Mint ganache: Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour. 5 Chocolate ganache: Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes. 6 Assemble layers: Spread mint ganache over top of cooled brownie in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes. Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours. 7 Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.

About


Adapted from Gourmet, December 2005.