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Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate-Covered Mints


These brownies, or candy bars really, are something I like to make around the holidays.  These are definitely something you can wrap up and give as gifts.  They are sturdy, fudgey and unbelievably delicious. 

These will be the stars of your holiday cookie platters and look stunning stacked up on pedestal cake stands.

These brownies are the vision of Maida Heatter, a matriarch of modern baking.  She has won nearly every honor possible for a cookbook writer, including three James Beard Foundation awards.  In other words, she makes some good stuff.

Maida claims these brownies are her most requested recipe, far surpassing her cheesecake and key lime pie.

They are truly the biggest, gooiest, chewiest, darkest, sweetest bars out there. They are truly perfection in my book.

 

You will need about 48 York chocolate-covered peppermint patties.  That is about 2-1/2 eleven ounce bags.

This is the pan I use to make these brownies, also recommended by Maida Heatter.  It is a Magic Line Pan.  If you don’t have one and make bar cookies often, I would highly recommend getting one.  As you’ll see later, the straight sides and square corners means the edges don’t have to be trimmed.  It’s truly magic, buy one here if you are interested.  I use mine all the time and love it.

Fit the pan you are using carefully with heavy duty foil.  Press down sides and corners, shaping to the pan, carefully pressing into place.  Do not make any holes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack one third up from the bottom.  Add 1 Tablespoon  butter to a 9 x 13 x 2 pan and place in preheating oven.  When butter is melted, spread it over the foil with a pastry brush; set aside.

In a 4-6 cup heavy saucepan or double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until chocolate and butter are melted.  Remove from heat; set aside.

Beat the sugar, eggs, espresso powder, extracts and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer set at high speed for 10 minutes.  Add the chocolate mixture (which may still be warm) with mixer on low speed.  Beat just until blended.  Add the flour and beat again on low speed just until mixed.  Stir in the nuts.

Spoon half the mixture (about 3-1/2 cups) into prepared pan; smooth top.  Layer the peppermints over the chocolate layer.  They should touch each other and come as close to the edges of the pan as possible (do not cut mints in half to fill-in spaces-the filling will ooze and burn).  Spoon remaining chocolate mixture over mints; carefully smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes (and no longer), rotating the pan once during baking.  Start checking the pan at 30 minutes, if you overbake these, the mints will start exploding, it’s not good.

Remove from oven and let stand in pan until completely cool.  Invert pan and remove foil lining.  Invert again so brownies are right side up.

Here are the edges of the brownies straight from the pan.  Nothing to trim and nothing wasted, this is why I love making bars using a Magic Line Pan.

Refrigerate a few hours or overnight before cutting.

Use a long knife with a sharp blade to cut the brownies into quarters.  (If you do not use a Magic Line Pan you will most likely have to trim the edges.)  Cut each quarter in half, then cut each eighth into four bars.  This narrow shape shows off the mints.

Make these and have a plan, otherwise you will eat them all yourself.

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate-Covered Mints
Adapted from Cuisine at Home

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
3-3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
8 oz. (2 generous cups) walnuts, broken in large pieces
48 York chocolate-covered peppermint patties (about 2-1/2 eleven ounce bags)

This is the pan I use to make these brownies, also recommended by Maida Heatter.  It is a Magic Line Pan.  If you don’t have one and make bar cookies often, I would highly recommend getting one.  As you’ll see later, the straight sides and square corners means the edges don’t have to be trimmed.  
 
Fit the pan you are using carefully with heavy duty foil.  Press down sides and corners, shaping to the pan, carefully pressing into place.  Do not make any holes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with rack one third up from the bottom.  Add 1 Tablespoon  butter to a 9 x 13 x 2 pan and place in preheating oven.  When butter is melted, spread it over the foil with a pastry brush; set aside.

In a 4-6 cup heavy saucepan or double boiler, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until chocolate and butter are melted.  Remove from heat; set aside.

Beat the sugar, eggs, espresso powder, extracts and salt in a large bowl of an electric mixer set at high speed for 10 minutes.  Add the chocolate mixture (which may still be warm) with mixer on low speed.  Beat just until blended.  Add the flour and beat again on low speed just until mixed.  Stir in the nuts.

Spoon half the mixture (about 3-1/2 cups) into prepared pan; smooth top.  Layer the peppermints over the chocolate layer.  They should touch each other and come as close to the edges of the pan as possible (do not cut mints in half to fill-in spaces-the filling will ooze and burn).  Spoon remaining chocolate mixture over mints; carefully smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes (and no longer), rotating the pan once during baking.  Start checking the pan at 30 minutes, if you overbake these, the mints will start exploding, it’s not good.

Remove from oven and let stand in pan until completely cool.  Invert pan and remove foil lining.  Invert again so brownies are right side up.

Here are the edges of the brownies straight from the pan.  Nothing to trim and nothing wasted, this is why I love making bars using a Magic Line Pan.

Refrigerate a few hours or overnight before cutting.

Use a long knife with a sharp blade to cut the brownies into quarters.  (If you do not use a Magic Line Pan you will most likely have to trim the edges.)  Cut each quarter in half, then cut each eighth into four bars.  This narrow shape shows off the mints.

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Comments

  2. I have this pan!!!! And now I FINALLY have a reason to use it. I received it as a gift a few years ago and it got tucked into the back of the cupboard when we bought our house to be forgotten about.

    My hubby LOVES York Peppermint Patties. It’s the ONLY American candy he’ll eat. I am making these THIS week in an effort to cheer him up! Being laid off has really dented his self-esteem and I know he’ll love these!

    Reply

  4. Now this is the stuff of magic. I adore peppermint patties and dark chocolate and I think I have found my new bar cookie. Not that I was looking for one, but I knew true love would find me someday.

    Reply

  10. Well, I’m almost speechless, except I’m not sure that would really happen for me. BUT Oh My Gosh!!! Those look fabulous! Love the photos. Love the look of the cut brownies. And I love the pan. Gotta go put that on my Amazon Christmas list! Although, I kinda like cutting off edges (they’re mine! 😉

    Reply

  30. You’re killin’ me with these! The big pieces of the peppermint patty and walnuts combined in a moist brownie looks absolutely decadent! If I made these, I’d have to immediately give them to friends and neighbors, and maybe just save one for myself.

    Reply

  41. I have lots of magic line pans, they are wonderful. My two 9 x 13’s have removeable bottoms, absolutely wonderful for removing the baked product. Also have 8 & 9 inch squares with removeable bottoms, the best thing since sliced bread.

    Reply

  43. My brownie pan is not a “magic pan” but it has square corners and I use a square biscuit cutter despite that so that all of my brownies are neat and all exactly the same size. Oh, and I never cut brownies the day they are made: I always refrigerate the base overnight. It really makes a difference. By the way, I tried this with Junior Mints once and they failed. I think the center was too gooey. I’m rejuvenated to try again with the York Peppermint Patties! Thank you!

    Reply

  44. I made these for Christmas this year, and I got tons of compliments! They’re good cold (stiffer) and room temperature (fudgy). I might experiment with other middle layers.

    Reply

  45. Cathy,
    I love the sound of this recipe. I am wondering if the espresso powder could be left out or if there is something non coffee like to substitute for the espresso powder? Thank you for taking time to response.

    Reply

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