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So just a quick introduction...I found this recipe and knew I HAD to make them. Dark chocolate and mint are arguably my two favorite ingredients in any dessert. I may not have chosen the best time to start making them (9:00 PM on a summer night which peaked at about 87°F. yeah...), but nevertheless I think it was worth the frustration of the fact that the chocolate was melting faster than I could chop it.

If you'd like to make these, possibly on a WINTER night (haha), here's what you'll need:

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Grasshopper Brownies

For the brownie layer
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
10 1/2 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

For mint ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
NOTE: The original recipe calls for 2 tablespoons green crème de menthe. I skipped it; we didn't have any at home, I'm not 21, and it's not worth 20 bucks and having to drive to the liquor store for 2 tablespoons of anything. Besides, I found the peppermint flavor strong enough; if you like, you can compensate for the tinting with a single drop of green food coloring)

For chocolate ganache
1 cup heavy cream (see recipe notes)
10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (again, not extra-bitter or unsweetened), finely chopped

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So, the first thing you wanna do is make the brownies. First, put your oven rack in the middle position and preheat your oven to 375°F. Take a 13x9 inch baking dish and lightly butter the inside. Then, line the dish with two perpindicular sheets of foil (one going top to bottom, the other left to right), making sure there is a 2 inch overhang on each end of the foil. This will eventually be used to remove the brownies from the pan. Butter the foil.
In a 3 quart heavy saucepan, over moderate heat, melt the butter, finely chopped chocolate, and brown sugar, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in eggs and vanilla until fully combined. Then whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.
Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a couple crumbs sticking. I found it took about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.


Next, we make the mint ganache. Bring the cream to a simmer in your 3 quart heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Pour the cream over the finely chopped white chocolate in a bowl. Let it stand for about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe (or not hehe) and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour.


For the final baking part, the chocolate ganache. Again, bring the cream to a simmer in your 3 quart heavy saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.




The last step is assembly. Spread the mint ganache over the top of cooled brownie mixture in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes.

Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.

NOTE: Because the mint and chocolate ganaches require different amounts of time for chilling, I recommend preparing+chilling the chocolate ganache while the brownie mixture+mint ganache is chilling in the fridge; they both require 30 minutes of chill-time, and that way after those 30 minutes, you can pull out the brownies+mint ganache, and the chocolate ganache, spread the chocolate ganache right on, and stick it back in the fridge.

Lift this now beauteous dessert out of the pan using your handy-dandy foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil. And voila! You've done it. Enjoy.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 12:03 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.