Chocolate Mint Brownies (just like Starbucks)

I had the Starbucks version of these brownies during the holidays and fell I love with them. After extensive testing here is my version.

Brownie layer

• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup butter – slightly less than 11 tablespoons
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in saucepan. Remove from heat and add sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder salt.

Pour onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Spread to edges.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Cool thoroughly before adding mint layer.

Mint – Cream Cheese Layer

• 8 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• several drops of green food coloring
• 5 cups of powdered sugar

Add one cup of powdered sugar, mint flavoring and food coloring and mix well. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time till completely mixed.

Spread evenly over the cooled brownie layer. Refrigerate.

Chocolate Ganache Layer

• 8 oz. heavy whipping cream
• 16 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 bag of Andes Mint pieces

Heat whipping cream in saucepan to simmer, when bubbles just start to form around the edges of the pan.

Remove from heat. Add the chocolate chips. With wire whisk, stir chocolate in till melted.

It will look like a mess at first, but keep whisking until it is smooth and creamy.

Pour over chilled mint layer. Spread evenly.

Sprinkle Andes Mint pieces over the top.

Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Remove the brownie from the cookie sheet using the parchment paper to lift.

Place on a large, flat cutting surface. You can see how the edges are uneven.

With a sharp knife, cut the edges (up to an inch depending on how close you spread everything) off the brownie to make it uniform in height and the green layer shows all the way around. Keep them, they make good snacks.

Cut in squares and then in rectangles.

Stack in layers separated by wax paper and store in a covered plastic container.