Here it is, finally! The cookie recipe I tried as brownies but said would need more tweaking before they’d be perfect. Now they’re perfect. I used Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips instead of mint chocolate chips, since as we discovered, mint chocolate chips are only available seasonally. Even the Andes chips aren’t available at my grocery store, but I can find them at Wal*hate*mart.
Swistle’s Perfect Chocolate Mint Brownies
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 and 1/2 cups Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips
Cream butter and sugar. Add cocoa powder. Add egg, water, and vanilla. Add salt and flour. Add baking chips. Bake in a lightly buttered 8×8 pan, 325 degrees for 38-39 minutes. TRY to let them cool before eating them, because they really are much much yummier that way. You’d think they’d be better all warm and melty, but I have lots of experience in this area and I think you should trust me. Okay, fine, have one warm brownie. But then hands off until they’re cool!
Do you know how many batches of brownies I made before settling on this recipe? Neither do I. But I tried it with baking soda and with baking powder, with no water and 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons water, with 1/2 cup of butter and with 2/3 cup of butter, with the whole bag of Andes chips and with 1 and 1/4 cups and with 1 and 1/3 cups, with the pan greased and not greased.
All of them were good, so don’t be nervous to try other variations. I like having a partial bag of the baking chips left over to nibble on, but it was also good when I dumped in the whole bag.
Now, COOKIES take quite awhile to make, with all the cycling of hot pans and forming of little lumps of dough. But BROWNIES, you can find time for more easily, which is why I modified this recipe just for you, kiss kiss! I timed it and these took me 15 minutes from “putting mixer on counter” until “putting pan in oven.” And that included having to microwave the butter because I forgot to put some out to soften, and having to run downstairs to the storage shelves for a bag of flour.
Holy cow, I am going to have to make these. If only Theo weren’t napping, I could go to the store for supplies and make them RIGHT NOW.
JUST in time for the weekend, too! Awesome. Thanks for posting!
I. Love. You.
Perfect timing! I just bought FOUR MORE BAGS of the Andes Creme de Menthe chips!!
YOU ARE AWESOME!
Oh man. Can’t you post HEALTHY delicious recipes? You are trying to tempt me into evil.
Only 1 stick of butter? Hmm. But your other brownie recipe (the one with 3! sticks of butter) was scrumptious, so perhaps I’ll try this as well. I can’t believe you made these so many different ways. You are dedicated. Or addicted to brownies.
OMG, I’m gonna get so fat. My favorite sweet now in my favorite flavor. Do you think it would work to double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan?
Oh my goodness, how I appreciate your time on this. I will try them pronto. Strangely enough, I saw those at Target last week and thought of you. I thought, I should tell Swistle about these because she wanted something for her recipe. But then I didn’t. Glad you found them all on your own!
OMG. Must. Make. These. Now.
Damn. I’m not near an oven. Or a kitchen.
Girl, I don’t know how with five kids you had time to hone this recipe, but thank god that you did.
Hmm… maybe if I used dairy-free margarine and Junior Mints I could make dairy-free chocolate mint brownies…
Stupid Weight Watchers. hrmph
Mmm mmm mmm, those look so good. Too bad I’ll be out of town this weekend, therefore unable to make them. I will keep the recipe to try in the future.
Jess- I know! It is a sad, sad thing: I love to bake, but HATE to cook. And most bakedy stuff is either Not Quite Healthy or else Not Quite Delicious.
Jen- Let’s go with “dedicated.” I will throw myself on ANY brownie grenade for you people.
Dorie- Hm. I didn’t try that but might have to this weekend. You know, for RESEARCH PURPOSES. I suspect it would need more time in the oven, because of being thicker.
Donna- OH! That reminds me! I meant to say that this recipe takes 15 minu—why don’t I just go edit the post.
Nowheymama- I tried using Crisco instead of butter and it was significantly less yummy: the butter flavor apparently works in a blessed triumvirate with the mint and chocolate. But the margarine idea might be better, especially if it comes in a butter flavor?
You really are doing a community service for us all. Who needs “adopt a highway” when we have our Swistle, slaving away over a bizillion brownie recipies, trying to find us the best in minty chocolate goodness? =)
I’ll try them. This weekend. But I’M NOT A SHEEP. Just because I do everything you say doesn’t proove a thing! =)
I like the cup of milk in the photo. It’s a relief to me–there is NOTHING like guzzling milk with brownies. I can’t think of eating them without the milk.
I love brownies. I want these brownies.
But! How can I possibly make these brownies just for me? How? I would eat them all, all alone. Even the dog couldn’t partake. Why doesn’t J like chocolate? Unfair!
Marie- Oh, I know. Clearly not. But just in case, I won’t jump off any bridges.
Black Sheeped- I wonder if they’d freeze well? Another experiment to try! Or, make them when you want to bring someone a treat, and keep aside a few for yourself. Shoot, this reminds me of another edit I need to make, about waiting until they’re cool to eat them.
OMG, I just have to try these!
its a good thing i dont have mint chips right now or this would be my breakfast
So glad you put this link on your main page. I was prepared to go through the archives for the recipe though! I FINALLY have the mints and can’t wait to try this, tonight.
Thanks for the recipe! I’ll have to try it.
I am sad there is nothing remotely similar to baking mint chips here in London.
I would sooo love to bake a batch of these brownies!
I cheated a little on your recipes. I used the salty brownie recipe, just because I had baking chocolate, but added chocolate mint baking chips. And, I made it in an 8×8 pan, so they would be thicker. Heaven.
Hiya Swistle, these sounds delicious & I think I’d like to make some for my neighbours.
Couple quickie questions, is the flour all-purpose (plain) flour or self raising? And is the sugar the use-in-your-coffee everyday type sugar or castor sugar?
Enquiring & somewhat greedy minds want to know :).
Thanks :).
Hi, Heather! The flour is the plain kind, not self-rising. And the sugar is everyday sugar—the white granulated refined kind, not powdery.
Oooh, yay! Thanks for such a quick reply – it’s 8.41am here Tuesday, so my 6 month old Josephine & I are off to buy the ingredients & spend the day baking :).
My taste buds and sugar high thank you in advance :).