25 Days of Baking: Day 17

Today's recipe is one that I have wanted to make for quite some time. I even went as far as to print it out, not just pin it. But alas it has yet to be made...until today! My print out actual has April 2013 on it, yikes!

 I got this recipe from one of my favorite scrapbookers Becky Higgins. I searched her site www.beckyhiggins.com for the link to the original post, got sucked in like I do and spent to much time looking through her blog. I ended up not being able to find the link. So when you have a few minutes, hop on over and see what she is up to, it's an awesome read and you won't be disappointed!

Mint Brownies

~ 2 cups butter

~ 3/4 cup cocoa

~ 2 1/4 cups sugar

~ 6 eggs

~ 2 cups flour

~ 1/8 tsp. salt

~ 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Combine the top 4 ingredients and mix well. Next add the last 3 to the mixture. Bake this brownie layer at 350 for 15 min. in a texas sheet cake pan or for 8-10 min. longer in two 9x13 pans. Cool completely.

 Mint Frosting

~ 4 cups powdered sugar

~ 1/2 cup butter

~ 5 Tbsp. milk

~ food coloring

~ 2 tsp. mint or peppermint extract

~ 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (these will be melted for the top)

 Directions

 Mix all frosting ingredients, except choc. chips. Spread frosting on chilled cake and then chill again. Melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and spread for top layer. Chill.

I ended up baking my brownie mixture in a texas sheet cake pan for 21 min. After 15 it was still soupy in the middle. This smelled so wonderful while it was cooking! I also know that there is a fine line when heating chocolate chips in the microwave. Unfortunately I crossed that line, so my chocolate didn't spread smoothly on the  frosting, but it still tastes AMAZING!

25 Days of Baking: Day 6

My middle guy loves the color green and anything mint flavored. So today's treat was a no brainer! Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Baking magazine from 2010. It is in a Betty Crocker advertisement on the back. I was able to find it online here.

 These were so easy to make and smelled delicious while baking! I had to substitute a few things, because I wasn't about to take 3 small children out in the cold to the grocery store to pick up what the recipe actually called for.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

*1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix

*1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

*1/2 teaspoon mint extract

*6 to 8 drops green food color

*1 egg

*1 cup creme de menthe baking chips

*1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks.
• 2 Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
   

 

 Once mixed up and scooped onto the cookie tray these reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream, one of my favorites!

I didn't have any mint extract, so I used peppermint instead. I also didn't have any chocolate chunks, but I did have some red and green chocolate chips so we used those instead! They also helped to make the cookies look a little more festive.

 Other than my Kitchen Aid mixer, one of my next favorite items in my kitchen is my Pampered Chef cooling racks. We have a decent counter, but it always seems to be filled with junk. As hard as I try to keep it clean the junk comes back with in a few days. So to help when I'm short on space the fact that these stack are amazing! I have 3 total and I'm not sure what I would do without them.