Triple Layer Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

Holiday baking is coming a touch late in my world this year, after just having taken on a new part time job that in practice takes up a lot more time than it did in theory. I’m really loving it, so can’t complain much, but working full-time during the day and then an after-hours job definitely doesn’t leave time for a whole lot extra. All I can say is, thank goodness for weekends!

These brownies were neglected as a product of my new schedule as well… admittedly it took me about 6 days to finish all three layers (it should realistically only take you a quick evening of baking…). Somehow, they still managed to come out looking and tasting divine. I’ve had grand plans to make heaps of ginger spice cookies and quick breads and other confections this holiday season, but so far, this is all I have to show for my baking exploits. Hopefully there’s more to come? If not though, these brownies are definitely a treat.

I initially jumped into making these brownies for an Eggland’s Best Holiday Dessert Recipe Exchange. I’ve worked with Eggland’s Best in the past, and as a member of a household that consumes a lot of eggs, we definitely jump at any opportunity to swap out generic-brand eggs for Eggland’s Best. They’re fresh and delicious, and chock full of vitamins (D, E, B12) and nutrients (omega-3, lutein).

I’ve seen many variations of these layered brownies bopping around Pinterest, but I decided to take the idea and run with it in a direction of my own. I’m a brownie fanatic, and while I always like to be trying new things, I do have a go-to brownie recipe I use whenever I need a quick fix. Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies are absolutely to-die-for, nice and fudgy and rich with flavor. I thought it’d be a magnificent idea to use her brownies here as a base, with a few alterations to fit the flavor profile. I made a 1/3 batch of her original recipe, and they came out perfectly. I added peppermint extract in place of some of the vanilla extract, and substituted chunks of peppermint bark for the walnuts. Yum, yum, YUM!

 As you can see in some of the photos, these brownies can slice nicely, but also rather sloppily!

For best results, let them come closer to room temperature before slicing, for a nice, clean edge.

On top of that, I layered a peppermint flavored buttercream-eqsue layer, which got doused in a thin layer of chocolate ganache, and then sprinkled liberally with more chopped peppermint bark. Lots of deliciousness going on here, but you really only need a sliver because these babies are RICH!

In case you’re wondering, the peppermint flavor here isn’t overwhelming at all, but it does come through nicely. I find the balance to be really spot-on, with the delightful chocolate brownie flavor coming through in contrast to the peppermint.

Thanks to Eggland’s Best for the opportunity to incorporate their awesome eggs into a fun and delicious holiday dessert recipe. I’m hoping to make one or two other Eggland’s Best inspired dishes this weekend during out first real snow storm! I’m also thinking I may bring these as a Christmas contribution this year, and I anticipate we’ll clean the plate. Check out the EB Pinterest page for a glimpse at other Holiday Dessert Recipe Exchange contributions!

Disclaimer: I received a prize pack courtesy of Eggland’s Best in exchange for my creation of this original dessert recipe and blog post. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

The post Triple Layer Chocolate Peppermint Brownies appeared first on {Sweetly} Serendipity.