Mint Cream Brownies

The store cupboard has reached rock bottom status. I lashed together some brownies today using my tried & tested recipe, added in some peppermint and got mint cream brownies. The stuff good-goo is made of.

In technical terms the proportion of goo to crunchy outer surface is crucial when making brownies. It is critical that the ratio of crispy goodness coating the outside, is matched by ooey-gooeyness (okay I know this isn’t a word but it’s my blog) on the inside.

Imagine I’m putting on one of those daft M&S advertising voices.

This isn’t just your ordinary brownie, this is your ultimate Wholesome Ireland brownie.

You get the idea, no more messing about.

The reason for the mint cream brownies is basic. I’ve run out of most of the store cupboard ingredients known to man. Left, unfortunately with little to bake with and I’ve been having a rotten week. Baking is my cure-all so when I went to look into what I could make today I found about 200g left of plain flour, which meant regular cakes were out of the equation. Then I discovered no chocolate.

NO CHOCOLATE

Apologies for shouting, but seriously, what sort of a house am I running where there is no chocolate? Actually don’t answer that.

There was, however, cocoa powder, some eggs, a little butter and sugar. It transpired that this was just about enough to bake up something vaguely chocolately to satisfy my need for comfort. Don’t judge me. Wedged, blessedly, in the back of the treat corner where the hubby and kids couldn’t find them was a bag of these wonderful mint creams. They are, I admit a little past their best but they are fine to bake with.

Ingredients

• 125g butter
• 50g dark cocoa (but drinking chocolate powder will work fine here)
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon peppermint essence/extract
• 200g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 packet of mint creams (you will not use them all in this recipe but they will all be eaten)

Method

Preheat your (fan) oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Line a square baking dish well.

In a large, microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. It should only take 30 seconds x 2 on the high setting. Stir in the cocoa powder until blended with the melted butter.

In a second large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar until creamy and frothy. While whisking, pour in the butter & cocoa powder mixture. Keep on whisking until completely combined. Add the peppermint extract.

Stop whisking and fold in the flour and baking powder. Once all the flour and baking powder has been combined, pour the mixture into the lined baking dish.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you should have a crunchy top and wobbly bottom. No funny jokes please. Carefully remove the brownie from the oven and pop the mint creams into the mixture at regular intervals. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to intensify the flavours.

Turn off the oven, remove the brownie and leave to cool completely before serving.

Hah, right!

Spoon + ice cream = H-A-P-P-Y