Peppermint Brownies
Brownies rank up there in my top 10 foods of all time. A perfect brownie in my book is still a little gooey in the center and is soft. I do however, have an aversion to brownies that have a crust. I am a “middle” brownie girl all day long. If it is a brownie with crust then I will either pass or cut that section off. I can be picky like that {don’t tell my Darb that I admitted it though}. I want my Diet Coke from a can {not a bottle}, I love tomatoes but don’t care for ketchup, chocolate chips are my favorite but I prefer the mini version, candy bars need to be cold {or even froze}…you get the picture. 🙂
Some may say that I am a cheater but I love using a good brownie mix. It makes it super simple and bakes up great every time. The addition of melted butter and buttermilk give it a jazzed up taste which is only amplified by the homemade icing and peppermint pieces. Make them for your family, a party or even as a gift for neighbors…everyone will love them.
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Peppermint Topped Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 2 boxes brownie mix {I like Duncan Hines Fudge variety}
- 3/4 cup butter {melted}
- 1/2 cup buttermilk {see substitution in notes}
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Icing
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup peppermint pieces {crushed candy canes work well too}
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking pan with non stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper {or foil but be sure to spray with nonstick cooking spray}.
- Put brownie mix, melted butter, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix by hand until combined. Batter will be thick. Spread into prepared pan evenly and bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is set but still a bit soft. Let them cool for about 20 minutes on a cooling rack.
- To make icing: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add cocoa powder and milk, stirring until the mixture becomes thick and is just starting to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar. Be sure to stir until smooth and sugar dissolves nicely. Pour over brownies and spread quickly. Before icing sets sprinkle peppermint pieces over top and let the brownies come to room temperature. Once at room temperature, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This will make cutting them easier.
- I cut brownies into squares and then in half and into triangles inside the pan but if you line the pan then remove the brownies from the pan, peel off parchment paper {or foil} and cut into squares.
