December 26 is National Candy Cane Day (and my sister’s birthday)! Don’t throw out those broken candy canes; use them instead to make these delicious peppermint brownies.
Preheat oven to 425° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium heatproof bowl, set over pan of simmering water, stir dark chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip eggs, vanilla, salt, espresso powder and sugar on high speed until foamy and stiff (about 10 minutes).
Stir in the chocolate mixture by hand, followed by the flour.
Spread half the batter in the prepared baking pan. Place a layer of peppermint patties candies over the batter. Pour remaining batter over the peppermint patties and smooth the top. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top of brownies.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a firm crust is formed on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out moist. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows to make 32 peppermint brownies.
Brownie Points: This recipe is extremely rich and dense. If you’re serving this at a party, offer smaller portions for your guest by cutting the 32 squares in half diagonally to make 64 “brownie bites.”
Ingredients:
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, cut into cubes
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 peppermint candy canes, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound chocolate-covered peppermint-flavored patties, unwrapped
Number of servings: 32
Cooking time: 20 minutes
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