Description
Chocolate lovers rejoice with these candy cane brownies that blend rich, fudgy chocolate with festive peppermint cheer. Cool mint frosting and crushed candy cane pieces crown this delightful holiday dessert that will delight your senses and sweeten winter gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional, for drizzling)
- ½ cup (50 g) crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preparation: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350F (175C). Coat 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy extraction.
- Batter Creation: Whisk melted butter and sugar until lustrous. Incorporate eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extracts, blending thoroughly. Gently fold sifted cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt into wet ingredients, mixing until just combined – avoid overworking the mixture.
- Baking Process: Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing surface evenly. Bake for 22-26 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick – it should emerge with minimal moist crumbs. Allow brownies to cool completely within the pan.
- Chocolate Embellishment: Melt chocolate chips using microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each session until silky. Drizzle melted chocolate across brownie surface and generously scatter crushed candy canes for festive decoration.
- Finishing: Allow chocolate topping to solidify for 10-15 minutes. Utilize parchment paper handles to extract brownies, then slice into elegant squares or rectangles. Store in sealed container, maintaining freshness for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture until just combined to maintain a fudgy, tender brownie texture without developing tough gluten strands.
- Start with less peppermint extract and adjust to taste, as the flavor can quickly become overwhelming and bitter if too much is added.
- Use low microwave power and short intervals when melting chocolate, stirring between each to prevent burning and ensure smooth, glossy consistency.
- Swap all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend for celiac-friendly version, or use alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar for lower glycemic index brownies.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg