Peppermint Bark Brownies |Cooking With Amanda

Oh, you guys.

I am afraid that this month is going to be a doozy.

As luck would have it, newly minted four-year-olds are very good at being excited about Christmas and very bad at patience.

Four days into December and I've already answered the question, "Is it Christmas yet?" four hundred and eighty billion times.

"Christmas is in three weeks, cutie. Twenty-one days."

"So tomorrow?" Sigh. Take a gulp of wine. Bang my head against the wall. Repeat.

I bought Lucy the most adorable Disney Tsum Tsum advent calendar, thinking that it might help her understand the countdown until Christmas a little bit better.

But then after opening one door and getting a prize out, she was obsessed. All day she stalked that calendar like prey, trying to figure out how to sneak another door open without us noticing.

Finally, my husband caught her with several doors open and she burst into heaving sobs, her desperation oozing out of her pores. So, I just let her go to town on the darn thing. Life is short, she's young, and Christmas isn't supposed to be sad.

It is quite possibly the cutest calendar I've ever seen, if I do say so. And I am now the proud owner of 25 Tsum Tsums, which are essentially Disney characters that look like pills. But somehow, it works. I don't understand it, but it works.

Naturally, I've got all sorts of holiday treats lined up this month. Hopefully they'll not only help with the festivities around here, but they'll also serve as a distraction for impatient littles. "Why isn't it Christmas yet? Here, have a brownie."

Sometimes sugar really is the answer.

These fudgy homemade brownies are completely on point, if I do say so. Fudgy homemade brownies flavored with mint extract and white chocolate chips, topped with peppermint buttercream, ganache, and white chocolate.

They make a great gift and look darn spiffy on a holiday cookie tray.

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Peppermint Bark Brownies Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Brownies:

1 stick salted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

For the Frosting:

12 peppermint candies, crushed
1 stick salted butter, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups powdered sugar

For the Ganache:

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 peppermint candies, crushed
2 ounces white chocolate, melted

Directions

Prepare the Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 square pan with foil and spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk butter and cocoa powder together until cocoa is dissolved and mixture is thick.
Stir in sugar until combined. Stir in eggs, mixing until combined.
Add peppermint and vanilla extracts.
Add flour, stirring just until no white streaks remain in batter.
Fold in melted chocolate and white chocolate chips.
Pour batter in prepared pan and spread evenly.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, but not raw batter.
Let cool to room temperature.

Prepare Frosting:

In the bowl of your mixer, beat butter and heavy cream on medium speed until combined.
Add powdered sugar and beat on low until just barely mixed.
Add crushed peppermint candies and beat on high speed for one minute.
Frost cooled brownies and refrigerate for one hour.

Prepare the Ganache:

In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream for about a minute and a half, stopping to stir every 30 seconds until smooth.
Add corn syrup and stir to combine.
Let ganache cool to room temperature, then spread over frosted brownies.
Sprinkle with crushed candy and drizzle with white chocolate.