Submitted by Donovan Enriam, Student Journalist for Minarets Press
“Am I just eating because I’m bored?” — The Grinch.
I think lately many of us can relate to this, but in the spirit of Christmas and boredom, why not make some grinchy brownies? These fudgy chocolate brownies, coated in minty green ganache and sprinkled with crunchy mint oreos and tiny red candies, are sure to satisfy even the grinchiest of people. Now these are on the sweeter side, so I do advise not to overload these brownies with extra toppings. But these go perfect with a glass of milk or, really, any drink you like! Now get your Christmas spirit on, and let’s get baking.
Grinch Brownies:
COOK TIME ~ 50 min
TOTAL TIME ~ 55 min
SERVINGS ~ 24
Recipe:
Brownies:
1 cup unsalted butter
8 oz. (1 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large eggs
⅓ unsweetened cocoa powder
⅔ cup all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
Mint Ganache:
16 oz. (2 cups) white chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
4~5 drops of green food coloring
Toppings:
Mint Oreo cookies (crushed, chunky not powdered)
Red candies (any kind)
Directions:
Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13×9 inch baking pan and set aside.
In a large, heat safe bowl over a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate, stirring till smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Once cool, whisk in sugar and vanilla. Then mix in eggs, one at a time, until combined and smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Combine with the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Mint Ganache:
Bring a pot filled with water to simmering.
Put a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot of simmering water.
Pour the white chocolate and heavy cream in the bowl. Stir constantly until melted. Take bowl of white chocolate chips and heavy cream mixture off the heat.
Stir in the peppermint extract.
Now add a few drops of green food coloring. Stir well to combine (you can add more mint extract, up to 1/2 teaspoon).
Quickly pour the ganache on top of the brownies.
Layering:
After pouring the ganache evenly, spread the crushed oreos evenly over the top of the brownies.
Do the same with the red candies, only using a small amount so as to not overcrowd the brownies.
Let the ganache chill and set for 25-30 minutes.
Cut and enjoy.
Now these can also be a boxed mix if you’re not in a serious baking mood, in which case, just follow the directions on the box. That being said, there’s no shortcut for the ganache, though it shouldn’t be much of a hassle anyways. Using parchment paper on the bottom of the pan makes cleaning up and removing the brownies much easier, but if you don’t have that, good old grease is the way to go. Chilling the brownies is also a must to keep the ganache from becoming a runny mess. But other than that, these brownies should be a fun and easy treat that even the Grinch would surely eat. Merry Christmas to all, and in the wise words of the Grinch, “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
Read the original article on Minarets Press: https://minaretspress4.wixsite.com/minaretspress/post/a-grinchy-way-to-celebrate-the-holidays
