Week 6 of 52: Peppermint Patty Brownies

Week 6 of 52: Peppermint Patty Brownies

Today is National Cream Cheese Brownie Day.  And tomorrow is National Peppermint Patty Day.  The former is easily accomplishable on a dessert blog.  The latter is bit more confusing.  Are we celebrating that wonderful confection covered in chocolate that sends a shiver of cold up the back of your neck when you take the first bite, or are we celebrating that fantastic freckle-faced girl that was the ultimate tomboy and has been around as long as me!  

This got me to thinking all kinds of strange and fantastic ways to create a dessert that would incorporate both my “famous” brownies, already known in town, and the brunette that could only be described as a rare gem!

So I went to work researching all things brownies and peppermint.  Did you know that Peppermint Patty was inducted into the D- Hall of Fame?  That she was raised by a single parent?  That she was the only Peanuts character to call Charlie Brown “Chuck”?  

And did you know that the first brownie was created in the United States in the last 1800s and early 1900s?  The first published recipes were in 1904-07 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate_brownie).

Not that any of this research puts me any closer or father away from my first and only thought when building a recipe – put a peppermint patty INSIDE a brownie.  Done!

I hope you enjoy…  

Peppermint Patty Brownies

(In honor of National Cream Cheese Brownie Day – FEB 10 and National Peppermint Patty Day – FEB 11)

Patty

•

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

•

1 tablespoon peppermint extract

•

6 cups powdered sugar

Brownie

10 T ​butter

1 c​brown sugar

¼ c​white sugar

¾ c + 2 T​unsweetened cocoa powder

½ t​salt

½ t​pure vanilla extract

2​eggs, large

½ c​all-purpose flour

Filing Directions – do this part first, then put discs in the freezer while you mix up the brownies:

1.

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract.

2.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat.

3.

Knead on a surface sprinkled with more sugar until dough is stiff.

a.

(The stiffer the better when it come to the dipping part!) Add more sugar while kneading if the dough is sticky.

4.

Roll 1/4 inch thick.

5.

Cut into approximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch circles.

Note – I did NOT have any peppermint extract, so instead, I melted ¾ c Andies mint chips in the microwave and stirred them into the mix.  Also, the dough is very stiff if you add all 6 cups of powdered sugar.  It rolls out with a rolling pin very nicely.  I used one of the small condiment containers from Tupperware to cut my circles.

Brownie Directions – preheat oven to 325F, racks in lower 1/3 of oven

1.

Grease a baking pan.

2.

Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl – microwave for 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mix is smooth. Set the mix aside to cool slightly.  It will look gritty, but will become smooth.

3.

Hand mix in vanilla.  Then add eggs one a time, stirring vigorously after each one, until the batter is thick, shiny, and well blended.

4.

Add the flour until you cannot see it any longer, then beat for 30 strokes.

5.

Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Panning – If you are using a brownie pan that has a separator, drop one half of a partially frozen patty into each well.  If you are using a standard square or rectangular pan, evenly space the patties so that when cut, each brownie has a patty.

Baking – Bake 20-25 minutes – until a toothpick inserted emerges slightly moist with batter.Once you remove the brownies, take the back of a spoon and squish the now puffy patty on top of each brownie. Cool completely and remove brownies from the pan.  These are best cooled in the fridge, as they are easier to cut (unless you are using a brownie pan).

Keep in airtight container.