Fudgy Mint Brownies

Did you see that insanely crackly crust? These fudgy, intense, double chocolate homemade brownies are all you ever wanted in a mint-flavored bar. They have lots of chocolate flavor with the mint coming through in just the right amount and are speckled with semisweet and white chocolate chips. And it's one-bowl, so that means a super easy recipe!

I firmly believe one can never have too many brownie recipes, a fact that is well documented in this blog's brownie archives. I like them all, for one reason or another. There is a time and place for every brownie recipe, right?

Chocolate and mint, it's a heavenly combination, definitely in the top 3 if you ask me. We have our favorite recipes of course, like the chocolate mint mousse pie or the chewy, fudgy chocolate peppermint cookies.

But this almost perfect mint brownies recipe might as well have dethroned my favorite brownies ever for all I know.

I grew up eating those thin English mints, the ones with the clock in the packaging, and, to this day, I can eat half a box in a few minutes. These fabulous chocolate mint brownies are the closest I ever tasted to that childhood favorite.

About this recipe

• One bowl recipe: these are simple, fudgy brownies and you only need a large bowl, a spatula, and a brownie pan to make them.
• Easy to make: most mint brownies involve a chocolate layer and a mint filling or mint layer, then a chocolate glaze on top, more like grasshopper brownies. Well, these are a quicker version, a simple recipe that will enable you to whip them up at a moment's notice.
• Great flavor: a recipe for chocolate lovers for sure. Both the chocolate and mint flavors come through in just the right amount.
• Can be frozen: besides keeping well for a few days at room temperature or in the refrigerator, these mint chocolate brownies are great to freeze for a month, and can be eaten almost directly from the freezer if the craving hits!
• Holiday dessert: the combination of mint and chocolate is perfect for several holidays such a Christmas, st. patrick’s day, and valentine’s day.

Ingredients

Mostly pantry staples as is the case with most brownie recipes, except for the mint of course.

• Mint: it's the star of the show and my first choice is to use peppermint extract such as Simply Organic peppermint flavor or Frontier Natural peppermint extract.
  I tried using chopped fresh mint, but the flavor is just not there. 
  Another alternative would be using creme the menthe extract, or adding mint chips (my favorites by far are Guittard Green mint baking chips), or chunks such as Andes creme de menthe baking chips which we should rename Andes mints brownies lol.
• Semisweet chocolate: the brownie mix includes melted chocolate and I like to use dark chocolate. Use your favorite brand. I usually go with Ghirardelli Premium baking bar, Ghirardelli Intense dark bar or Callebaut dark baking callets.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: in addition to melted chocolate, some chocolate chips or chunks are thrown into the batter for even more chocolate flavor. Any brand will work as long as you like it. My go-tos are Hershey's semisweet baking chips, Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semisweet baking chips.
• White chocolate chips: I think they add a lot. You can omit it, but I recommend you don't. I use Nestle Toll house premier white chips.
• Unsalted butter.
• Sugars: we use both white and brown sugar for a deeper flavor and extra moisture. 
• Flour: just a small amount is needed to hold the batter, so both all purpose flour and cake flour work.
• Eggs: large, fresh.

How to melt chocolate and butter

There are 2 ways:

• Microwave: melt the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl on high for 10 seconds, take out and mix well. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful you don't scorch it. That's why it's important to mix it well between each heating. 
• Stovetop: put the bowl with chocolate and butter over a smaller pan with a few inches of water. Over medium heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.

One bowl brownie batter

• Sugar first. After melting the butter and chocolate you add both sugars. That way, if the chocolate is too hot, the temperature will go down a bit before adding the eggs. And it helps with starting to dissolve the sugar which helps with the fudgy texture.
• Eggs. Never add them to a very hot mixture or you might curdle bits of it. Add the eggs, all at once, and mix well. Mix with a whisk or a wooden spoon, there's no need for an electric beater.
• Flour. It's added before the add-ins and you just need to mix to incorporate it well.
• Add-ins. Lastly, add the chopped chocolates and mint extract. Stir to combine well.
• Final batter. The resulting batter will be shiny, smooth, and thick. Make sure no dry spots remain before pouring into the prepared pan.

Preparing the pan

• Butter or baking spray: the old fashioned way. Simply butter or spray the brownie pan. You can flour it also but it's not usually necessary. If you use spray use baking if possible (and not cooking spray) because it contains flour.
• Parchment paper: I always add it because it makes it easier to remove the whole thing or pan of brownies from the actual pan. I use a strip of paper that's wide as the pan and cover the bottom and two sides. Two sides remain paperless, but you can use two strips in a criss cross pattern.

How to get the crackly top layer

One of my favorite things about this mint brownie recipe is the perfect, shiny, flaky, crackly surface that develops while baking. It's all you ever wanted in a brownie crust. 

And it has to do a lot with the fat and sugar content in a recipe. It is my experience that the higher this amount is, the shinier the crust.

That said, a few other ways to develop it have to do with letting the sugar dissolve a little when adding it to the hot chocolate mixture (some recipes instruct to make this mixture on the stovetop for that reason), and mixing the batter energetically which also has to do with dissolving and integrating the ingredients well.

When are the brownies baked

The edges will be dry and slightly puffed and maybe a little cracked, but the center will still be soft to the touch.

Make sure the brownies jiggle in the center when you take them out of the oven. Don't wait until they are too firm, as that will mean they have dried out a bit. It's better to underbake them for a few minutes than the opposite. 

Kitchen notes

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Baking: take them out when the center still jiggles. That will ensure fudginess. 
• Waiting: they taste better one or two days after baking them. Almost all chocolate recipes do. The intense chocolate flavor mellows in a way that is perfectly balanced with the rest of the ingredients.
• Freezing: they can be frozen, well wrapped - and are amazing almost directly from the freezer, in case you ask. The sugar ends up making them taste like candy, similar to what happens with the over the top brownies after a few days.

So, you must try this double chocolate mint brownie recipe if you're a choco-mint lover.

I can't stress enough the use of good chocolate and peppermint extract. It makes all the difference. As usual in baking, great ingredients give great results.

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