Ingredients
Units
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
- 3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon good peppermint extract
- 1/3 cup (45g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (50g) dark chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/3 cup (50g) white chocolate chips or chunks
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (I don't usually add it, but it's nice to mellow out flavors)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two sides. The other two sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the brownies from the pan.Â
- Melt the first chocolate with the butter in the microwave (at 10-15 second intervals, stirring well each time) or in a double boiler with the bottom of the bowl not touching the water.
- Add both sugars and mix well.
- Add eggs and combine until it’s creamy.
- Add flour and salt and mix.
- Add the chocolate chips or chunks, mint extract, and mix well until no streaks of flour remain. I use a spatula for this part.Â
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a bit puffed and the surface is dry. They still have to be a little jiggly in the middle, and a cake tester or toothpick will come out with very moist (but not wet) crumbs attached.Â
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before lifting the paper carefully so the brownie block comes out in one piece. Place on a flat surface and cut them into squares.
- I wrap them and leave them for a day at room temperature before cutting them. It mellows the flavors.
Notes
- Organization:Â read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time:Â consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look 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(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.Â
- Baking: take them out when the center still jiggles. That will ensure fudginess.Â
- 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 from the freezer, in case you ask. The sugar makes them taste like candy, similar to what happens with the over-the-top brownies after a few days.
- Mint: we use peppermint extract such as Simply Organic peppermint flavor or Frontier Natural peppermint extract. Another alternative would be using creme the menthe extract, but it's not as concentrated.
- 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.
- Chocolate chips: use your favorite semisweet chip. I love Ghirardelli premium baking chocolate chips, Â Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers (larger chips, our favorite), and Nestle Toll House semisweet chips.
- White chocolate chips: they add sweetness. I use Ghirardelli white chocolate chips or Nestle Toll House premier white chips.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Brownies & Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/9
- Calories: 344
- Sugar: 36.1 g
- Sodium: 28.5 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.7 g
- Fiber: 1.3 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 70.5 mg