Chocolate-Peppermint Brownies
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely broken or chopped
  • ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint pinwheel hard candies, plus more for garnish, if desired
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons American-style or Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted after measuring if lumpy
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 3 or 4 drops oil of peppermint, optional
  • Pinch of salt
  • ⅔ cup unbleached all-purpose white flour
  • ½ cup (ounces) chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, allowing it to overhang slightly on two opposing sides.
  2. Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until fluid. Add the chocolate and crushed candy and stir constantly until completely melted and smoothly incorporated. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until evenly incorporated. Set aside until cooled to barely warm, at least 10 minutes (if the mixture is too warm, it will cook the eggs).
  3. Whisk the eggs, extract, oil of peppermint (if using) and salt into the cooled chocolate mixture until very smooth and glossy. Stir the flour into the mixture just until well blended. Turn out the batter into the foil-lined pan, spreading out until evenly thick all over. Then smooth out the top with the knife.
  4. Bake, middle rack, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 24 to 28 minutes; if the pick comes out with wet batter clinging to it, continue several minutes longer, then check again. Continue, checking until just barely baked through. Immediately sprinkle some fine peppermint shards over top, if desired, then set the pan on a rack to cool completely.
  5. For easiest cutting, refrigerate the brownies until chilled and firm. Lift them from the pan to a cutting board using the foil. Gently peel off and discard the foil. Trim away the edges all the way around, then cut the slab into thirds in one direction and quarters in the other direction to make 12 brownies. Or cut them as desired.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2010/11/peppermintbrownies.html