Peppermint Overload Brownies

Ingredients:

For The Brownie:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 25 peppermint patties

For The Peppermint Ganache:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped or bittersweet chips
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 5 peppermint patties, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Liberally butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Place a small pot with about 2 inches of water in the bottom over medium heat until water simmers. In a large heat-proof bowl, place 5 tablespoons butter and bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and place over simmering water. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir in sugar. The mixture will be quite grainy, which is fine. Add eggs one at a time, stirring between each addition. Finally, stir in peppermint extract and salt. Using a very light hand, stir in the flour until just combined.

Pour about half of the batter into the baking pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula and cover the surface with about 25 peppermint patties in a single layer. Cover with the remaining batter and smooth to cover.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until top no longer is shiny and a knife inserted in the center doesn’t come out with large amounts of batter on it.

Cool to room temperature in the pan.

For the ganache, place chocolate and chopped peppermint patties in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat heavy whipping cream and butter in a small pot over medium heat. Stir constantly until it steams. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Now, whisk until mixture becomes smooth, dark, and uniform in color. Some small pieces of peppermint may remain. Don’t worry about those. Whisk in the peppermint extract.

Pour over brownies while still runny. If you do this while brownies are still in the pan and then refrigerate, the ganache will firm up a bit.

Cut into about 16 small brownies.

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