Candy Cane Brownies

I feel like the holiday season is just flying by me. We got our tree the last week of November and decorated it last week so we are definitely full of Christmas cheer in the house. I've already bought a couple boxes of candy canes and they are all gone. My son sings Jingle Bells just about everyday and keeps asking when he's gonna see Santa (Not that he hasn't already seen him three times at three different events).

This weekend, I'm taking him to see Santa again and then we are going to go to another Christmas related event. Sadly enough though, I haven't had one glass of egg nog. Maybe I'll buy some tonight. But seriously, it seems the season is passing by so quickly. I adore the holidays so this is a bit sad to me. Maybe it has something to do with that thing we have coming up on Monday. You know, the election.



So let's get our minds off it and back into the Christmas spirit. Here, I take my brownie recipe which is adapted from the Baked brownies and given them a Christmas twist with a generous sprinkling of candy canes :) Do you see my chocolate peppermint trend?! Let's get started.

Here's what we need:

1 1/4 cups flour

one teaspoon salt

two tablespoons cocoa powder

12 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate ( a bag)

two sticks of butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

five eggs, room temperature

two teaspoons vanilla

one teaspoon peppermint extract

For topping

four candy canes

1/4 cup chocolate chips

splash of cream

Combine the salt, flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside. 

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan. You should do this over a double boiler but I'm lazy so I do it in a pot. Keep an eye on it and keep the flame on low. 

Stir until mixture is smooth like this. 

Take the pot off the stove and mix in the sugars until smooth. Next, add in three of the eggs and whisk until combined. Add the other two eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and peppermint, being careful not to overmix. 

Add the flour mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. It's OK if there is still little bits of flour. 

Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Poor mixture into pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. 

To make the candy cane topping, unwrap the candy canes and put them in a ziploc bag. Smash them to bits with a rolling pin. 

Melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Spread onto brownies or pipe with a small plastic bag. Cover chocolate with crushed candy cane pieces and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Candy Cane Brownies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

one teaspoon salt

two tablespoons cocoa powder

12 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate ( a bag)

two sticks of butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

five eggs, room temperature

two teaspoons vanilla

one teaspoon peppermint extract

For topping

four candy canes

1/4 cup chocolate chips

splash of cream

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2) Combine the salt, flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and set aside. 

3) Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan. You should do this over a double boiler but I'm lazy so I do it in a pot. Keep an eye on it and keep the flame on low. 

4) Stir until the mixture is smooth. 

5) Take the pot off the stove and mix in the sugars until smooth. 

6) Next, add in three of the eggs and whisk until combined. 

7) Add the other two eggs and whisk until combined. 

8) Add the vanilla and peppermint, being careful not to overmix. 

9) Add the flour mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. It's OK if there is still little bits of flour. 

10) Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. 

11) Poor mixture into pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. 

To make the candy cane topping

1) Unwrap the candy canes and put them in a ziploc bag. Smash them to bits with a rolling pin. 

2) Melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. 

3) Spread onto brownies or pipe with a small plastic bag. 

4) Cover chocolate with crushed candy cane pieces and cut into squares.