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fudgy brownies with chocolate ganache and mint buttercream

Neither Blake nor I have 1 ounce of Irish blood coursing through our veins (Update! Mom just informed me that I DO have a teensy bit of Irish in me, from my Grandma Renelt. Why did I not know this until now?!?!), so St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t hold a particularly personal place in our family’s March traditions. But we do enjoy a good Irish meal to join in on the festivities. And, of course, an awesome “green” sweet treat!

These Brownies with Chocolate Ganache and Mint Buttercream simply fascinated our girls. I think my “droopy” ganache technique threw them off a bit, as I tend to keep my brownies a bit more clean-cut…(example 1)…(example 2). But they quickly got over their wonderment and on to sinking their teeth into them, as you can only imagine and expect.

The brownie base is dark and fudgy, with a hint of mint. Then another layer of mint, in the form of buttercream, is swirled on top of the droopy chocolate ganache. I couldn’t keep my fingers out of that buttercream…it totally reminds me of those little butter mints I used to hoard at weddings when I was a kid. Do brides and grooms still serve those delicious things?! I haven’t seen them in ages! And to top off this sweet little brownie package…little bites of Andes mints and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Irresistible, I tell you!

brownie squares topped with chocolate and mint buttercream
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Here are a few more recipes my family enjoys this time of year:

grasshopper cake

 Judi’s Grasshopper Cake

Chocolate Mint Brownies

 Mom’s Chocolate Mint Brownies

Reuben Dip

Meghan’s Reuben Dip

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And there are a couple really great giveaways going on here right now…

Have you entered?!

  • An awesome package from Land O’Lakes, featuring their new half sticks of butter and Sauté Express® Sauté Starter, plus a Le Creuset cast iron skillet and gorgeous kitchen items from Anthropologie!
  • A $500 Visa gift card from Crystal Farms. Who couldn’t use an extra 5 bills?!
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fudgy brownies with chocolate ganache and mint buttercream

Brownies with Chocolate Ganache and Mint Buttercream

Yield: about 25 brownies
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

The brownie base is dark and fudgy, with a hint of mint. Then another layer of mint, in the form of buttercream, is swirled on top of the droopy chocolate ganache.

Ingredients

  • for the brownies:
  • 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
  • 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 1.5 c. sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. pure mint extract (not peppermint)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 c. flour
  • for the chocolate ganache:
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1 T. light corn syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I recommend Guittard brand.)
  • for the mint buttercream:
  • 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1.5 c. powdered sugar
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 T. heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. pure mint extract (not peppermint)
  • green food coloring
  • additional:
  • cocoa powder
  • chopped Andes mints

Instructions

for the brownies:
  1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Fold a 16'' long piece of foil to an 8'' x 16'' strip and place it in an 8'' × 8'' metal baking pan, leaving overhang on 2 sides. Repeat with another sheet of foil in opposite direction, lining pan completely. Spray foil with nonstick spray.
  2. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, then eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, mint, and salt. Sift flour over and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake brownies until puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
  3. Using the foil as an aid, lift brownies from the pan. Cut into desired size - mine are about 1-1/2'' square. To get ultra clean cuts, dip your knife into warm water after each cut and wipe the knife clean. If the brownie is sticking/tearing at all when you cut, place it in the freezer for 10 to 30 minutes to firm it up, and then continue cutting.
for the chocolate ganache:
  1. Place all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the glaze is thickened a bit, but still pourable. Stir until completely smooth, then drop a large teaspoonful onto the center of a brownie square, and spread it out slightly at the edges to make it drop over the edge. Repeat until all brownies are dripping with ganache.
  2. Let set while preparing the mint buttercream.
for the mint buttercream:
  1. With a mixer, cream the butter with a paddle attachment on medium high speed about 2 minutes, until lightened in color and a bit fluffy. Add powdered sugar and salt.
  2. Mix on low until incorporated, and then turn up the speed to medium high and beat until smooth. Add cream, vanilla, mint, and green food coloring as desired.
  3. Add buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip and pipe frosting onto the center of each brownie square's ganache. Press in a few pieces of chopped Andes mints and then sprinkle with cocoa powder.
  4. Store refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving.

Notes

from a farmgirl’s dabbles

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 49mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Brenda | A Farmgirl's Dabbles
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars & Brownies