Green Equals Mint

My mother is a very creative woman. She is an accomplished musician and weaver, and she loves creating beauty. I think the "little kids at home" phase of her life squashed her creativity and made it pop out in unusual places. I well remember the lunch that she prepared for St. Patrick's Day one year. Everything was green. Everything. The milk. The cottage cheese. Green. Euwww.

I know Mom meant is to be a fun St. Pat's treat, but, really, green cottage cheese? I don't need to add food coloring to get my cottage cheese green - I just leave it alone in the back of the fridge for 2 months. And, no, it's not a fun treat for anyone!

What is a fun treat is when green means mint. Creme de menthe, mint ice cream, and mint chips. And what better partner for mint than chocolate? Deep, dark, delicious, ooey gooey chocolate brownies. Yummmmm.

Now the last time I posted something using these chips I did get some comments that the chips were unavailable to my readers in some areas. To forestall the same avalanche of complaints (well, maybe it was only 2 readers, but I hate for people to be unhappy), I'm going to give away a bag of mint chips to one lucky reader from the United States or Canada. I's not a freebie that I got from Guittard, just something from my personal stash to help make your St. Patrick's Day a little more sweet.

If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave a comment. I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Luck O' the Irish Brownies
- adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups (6-1/4 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups (12 oz bag) mint chips*

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

2- In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat briefly, just till it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.

3- Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Add the eggs, beating till smooth; then add the flour and chips, beating till well combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

4- Bake the brownies for 28 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly dry, with a few crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen them; this helps prevent the brownies from sinking in the middle as they cool. Cool completely before cutting. Makes 2 dozen brownies.

* To make your stash of mint chips go farther, you can use 1 cup mint chips and 1 cup chocolate chips.