BYU Mint Brownies

A few years ago,my BYU Alumni newsletter announced that the recipe for the famous BYU Mint Brownies was available.  I quickly bookmarked the link so that when I was no longer anywhere near campus, (let alone across the street from the Creamery where I could BUY these wonders), I would still be able to indulge.  Sometime within the past few months, as I was wandering through the baking aisle, I saw peppermint extract and put some in my cart...just in case.  Just in case what?  I don't know.

Yesterday morning, while looking over the recipe I had planned to make for that evening's potluck dinner, (Tex-Mex sheetcake), I realized it called for sweetened condensed milk.  I didn't have sweetened condensed milk--and my day was too busy to go out and get a can--so on to Plan B.  Which, it turned out, was actually Plan BYU.  Apparently, the peppermint extract went into my cart just in case my Plan A dessert fell through and I wanted to try making BYU Mint Brownies.  And try them I did.

Due to our crazy day, we arrived about 25 min. late for the dinner.  Ryan put the brownies on the table and by the time he got his dinner and sat down, 1/4 of the brownies were already gone.  By the time I made it up to the table to grab some, they were half-gone.  And when Ryan went back a minute later to grab a drink, the pan was empty.  Brings back memories of BYU's Women's Conference, doesn't it?

Thank goodness I have the recipe and can make them anytime I want!  Here it is for you--straight from BYU's Alumni website...

BYU Mint Brownies
Makes 9x13 pan (You decide how many servings...)

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

12 oz. chocolate icing (recipe follows)

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

Spread mint icing over cooled brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.


Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Frosting
(From the back of the Hershey's Cocoa container)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

NOTES: I didn't happen to have walnuts, so I added 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.  Nothing wrong with a little more decadence, right?  Also, it says to bake them for 25 min.  Which is exactly what I did.  They came out PRETTY gooey.  I'm not talking prefect-brownie-gooey--I'm talking about "not-quite-cooked-in-the-middle" gooey.  I thought they might firm up a little.  They didn't.  Check them at 25 min., but be careful not to overbake. I didn't mind the gooey-ness, though.  It was like mint brownie batter ice cream, but warm.  YUM!

I didn't add any salt to the mint mixture.  I was using salted butter and figured that included the dash already.

Finally, instead of the milk called for in the frosting recipe, I added chocolate milk.  Again, nothing wrong with a little more decadence.  And, I did need to add more to make it spreadable.