Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints

I came upon this recipe from “Cuisine at Home”, a magazine that I used to subscribe to.  They had a section called ‘chef at home‘ and this particular one featured Maida Heatter, the Queen of Desserts (I think I promised this recipe a few posts ago).  It’s a scrumptious brownie and the addition of peppermint patties makes them out of this world good!

I would have been happy to bring you to the Cuisine at Home recipe that I have, but they do not publish their recipes on-line, you have to subscribe to their magazine.  So I found this one: Palm Beach Brownies   from Saveur Magazine.   There are some slight personal differences:  I use salted butter, I do not use almond extract, no walnuts and the recipe I have only asks for 20 ounces of peppermint patties.  In the future, I will add more peppermint patties, if I can fit them in!

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints (adapted from Maida Heatter)

8 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Ghirardelli is my favorite)

8 ounces butter

3-3/4 cups sugar

5 large eggs

4 teaspoons instant espresso powder

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2/3 cups flour

40 York chocolate covered peppermint patties (about 20 ounces:  I had to get two bags)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  (I know this sounds crazy hot:  but just do it!  haha!)

Prepare a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan:  invert pan upside down, take a large sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and place over pan and press aluminum down sides, shaping the foil like the pan.  Remove foil, turn pan upright and place foil into pan, carefully pressing into the sides and corners of the pan.  Spray with canola oil.

Unwrap all the peppermint patties and set aside.

Melt the chocolate and butter.  You can do this in the microwave in a glass bowl:  one minute on high, remove and stir, stir, stir.  Put back in microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir, stir, stir.  Only put back in for 15 seconds if not completely melted and stir, stir, stir again.  OR you can do the double boiler method if you do not feel confident with your microwave.  Either way is fine but the goal is NOT to burn the chocolate.  Burned chocolate?  yuk.

Beat the sugar, eggs, espresso powder, vanilla extract and salt in bowl of an electric mixer at high speed for 10 minutes.

Add the chocolate mixture (it can be warm) to the sugar and egg mixture and beat on low until just blended.

Gradually add the flour until just combined.

Pour half the mixture into your prepared pan.

Place the peppermint patties on top of the batter, close to the edges of the pan and touching each other.  DO NOT CUT ANY PEPPERMINT PATTIES to make them fit.  Thank you.

Pour the rest of the batter on top of the patties and smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes, turning once half way during baking.  DO NOT BAKE ANYMORE THAN THIS.   If you test it with a toothpick, it will come out wet but do not bake anymore.

Remove from oven and let stand until cool.

Invert pan and remove foil lining from brownies.

Invert again so brownies are upright.  Cool overnight in the refrigerator, covered with wax paper.  DO NOT try to cut while warm .   They need that refrigerator time.

The next day cut brownies with a very large sharp knife into desired squares or rectangles.  Share with your friends.

Preparing the pan:

unwrapped peppermint patties:

Sugar, eggs, espresso powder, vanilla extract and salt:

after 10 minutes of beating:

after adding the chocolate mixture:

the finished batter:

half the batter in the prepared pan with patties on top (I think there is room for more, next time!):

other half of batter on top and smoothed:

out of the oven (a little burned but that is perfectly ok):

out of the pan and ready for the refrigerator:

I did cut the edges off, but I did not throw them out.  They are in the freezer.  For later.  Because the somewhat burnt edges are very good…..