¼ tspn peppermint for peppermint buttercream frosting :
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
¼ tspn peppermint extract
¼ tspn vanilla extract for chocolate frosting :
1/3 cup whole milk
¼ cup butter
1 x 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 tspn vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar for icing :
1 can white frosting (with fine tip)
1 can red frosting (with fine tip)
Preparation & Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, then prepare a 9" x 9" baking pan
by spraying it with a light coating of nonstick spray. Cut a piece of parchment
paper or nonstick aluminum foil to the same width as the bottom of the pan,
but make it much longer than the pan so that the left and right ends go up
and out of the pan on the left and right sides. This will create a "sling"
that will help you lift the brownies out of the pan after they've baked.
Make the brownie batter by first sifting the box of ingredients. This will
remove the clumps. Add the melted butter, water, eggs and peppermint extract
and mix the batter by hand just until all the dry stuff is mixed in. Pour
the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake it for 50 to 55 minutes,
or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Allow brownie to
cool before frosting.
Make the peppermint buttercream frosting by beating together 1 cup of powdered
sugar and the softened butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Mix
in another ½ cup of powdered sugar, then add 1 tablespoon of milk,
and the peppermint and vanilla extract. Mix for about 1 minute to make the
frosting smooth. Add an additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar if the frosting
is too thin and light. You want a frosting that can be spread easily, yet
it should be firm enough to hold up the layer of chocolate frosting that's
coming next. When the brownie has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting
evenly over the top. Put the brownie in the fridge to firm up the buttercream
frosting.
Make the chocolate frosting by bringing 1/3 cup whole milk and ¼
cup butter to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the chocolate
chips into a heat-safe bowl. When the milk and butter comes to a boil, pour
the mixture over the chocolate chips and let it all just sit there in the
bowl for a couple minutes. Add the vanilla extract to the mixture and whisk
until smooth. Use an electric mixer to beat in 1 cup powdered sugar until
the frosting is smooth. Spread the chocolate frosting over the white frosting
on the brownie. This recipe makes a little more chocolate frosting than you
need, so hold back about 1/3 to ¼ cup.
To add the decorative red and white icing if you decide to go for it: First
apply the white icing to the top of the cake in a sweeping motion diagonally
across the top of the entire cake, then add the red icing over the white in
the same sweeping motion in the same direction.
Stick the brownie back in the fridge for about an hour before removing
it from the pan and slicing it into 9 equal portions. The leftovers will keep
well for several days covered in the refrigerator.
