When my nest is devoid of sweets, something funny happens. I get the baking bug. Whether it's whipping up a bath of fruity muffins or finding a way to include some decadent chocolate in dessert, I get the urge to preheat the oven and pull out my stand mixer. I don't exactly need to use the stand mixer, but it makes baking so much simpler that I use it nearly every time I bake. And who is going to argue with that when the rest looks like this:
That's right. Rich, chocolatey brownies that are chock full of little mint chips aren't going to be unappreciated in my home. Now, I used the chips I happened to have on hand and have a hankering for. You could tweak this recipe easily to make different variations. Several are included below:
Minty Brownies
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
Melt the butter in the microwave and place in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in the canola oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed. Beat in the cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder. Carefully fold in the Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the brownies in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool completely and cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.
Variations:
- Chocolate-Orange: Replace the 1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips with 2 tablespoons orange zest plus 2/3 cup semi-sweet baking chips
- Mounds Bar: Replace the 1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips with 1/2 cup shredded coconut plus 1/2 cup semi-sweet baking chips
- CocoNutty: Replace the 1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips with 1/2 cup shredded coconut plus 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- Yields: 20 brownies
- Preparation Time: About 1 hour
Now, before you think I'm signing off, pause for a minute while I sing praises to my stand mixer. In addition to being a great baking companion, it really is a workhorse in my kitchen. I've used it for everything from making sausage to making ice cream and much, much more:
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