Chewy Brownies with Marshmallow Creme Mint Frosting! (& a new sponsor giveaway!)

 I was watching America’s Test Kitchen a few weeks ago, and they were out in the street doing a brownie taste-test.  They had everyone try a homemade brownie and then try a brownie made from the box.  Which one did they prefer??  You would think “homemade,” but nearly everyone said the boxed brownie!  I always knew that I loved boxed brownies…but, I didn’t realize I was in the norm!  How often does that happen ?!?  People love good ole fashion boxed brownies because they are chewy and not overkill on the deep fudge flavor.  My thoughts exactly.  So, America’s Test Kitchen set out to make a replica of the chewy boxed brownie, but obviously without any processed gunk in it…and an even better flavor!  The chewiness came from the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat, some science mumbo-jumbo that I won’t bore you with.  But, the result??  Spot on.  Chewy, yummy, and homemade brownies!

 Last week, I was hungry.  Imagine that.  But, I asked everyone on Facebook what food they were craving…just to torture myself.  After reading about cheese fries, bacon, cafe rio, cadbury eggs, and fajitas…it was then that I realized I needed a mint brownie.  My food cravings relentlessly haunt me, until I cave.  So, alas…a mint brownie was born.

 Now, obviously…you don’t have to make your brownies with the frosting.  But, if you have the need for frosting, by all means, frost your heart out.

To make the chewy brownies, you need:  dutch processed cocoa, unsweetened chocolate, unsalted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, salt, and bittersweet chocolate.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.   Get a small pot of water boiling on the stove.  Chop about 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate.

Whisk 1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa with 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS boiling water in a large bowl, until smooth.  Add the unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted.  Add 4 TBS melted unsalted butter and 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS oil, mix well.  Add 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks and 2 tsp. vanilla, stir.  It’s okay if it looks somewhat curdled.

Add 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 3/4 cups flour, and 3/4 tsp. salt to the mixture, combine.  Fold in about 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (chopped in chunks), with a spatula.

Scrape the batter into a greased 9×13 pan and bake on the lowest oven rack, about 30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).  Let cool.

For the mint frosting, I remembered how much I liked the marshmallow frosting I used inside Whoopie Pies, so I made that and just added a tsp. of peppermint extract and several drops of green food coloring.

 

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened but still cool

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups marshmallow cream

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Green food coloring

Directions:  Beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt. Beat in the marshmallow creme. Mix well.

1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 TBS boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate,  chopped fine

4 TBS unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plus 2 TBS vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. salt

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

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