Cocoa Brownies with Mint Ganache
September 29, 2019
Makes 16 brownies
I set about developing this recipe with a gold standard in mind: Andes Candies, those little rectangular foil-wrapped chocolates with a smooth ingot of minty white chocolate stacked right on top. Unlike my Fudgy Brownies these are a bit cakier, but still chocolatey enough to stand up to the rich white layer, which I infuse with fresh sprigs of fresh mint. By using coconut oil—which hardens when chilled—as a main ingredient in the ganache, we achieved the “snap” we were going for in that top layer.
For the brownies:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for greasing
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
For the mint ganache:
4 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 sprigs fresh mint
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
Make the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan; set aside.
Into a medium bowl sift the flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside.
In another medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl combine the butter and chocolate and microwave on high, stopping and stirring every 45 seconds, until melted and smooth, 2-3 minutes total. Cool slightly, whisk in the sugar and, then whisk in the eggs until incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until well blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the ganache:
In a small saucepan bring the coconut oil, cream, and mint to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, more, depending on your preferred level of mint intensity.
In a small microwave-safe bowl melt the white chocolate, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Remove the mint sprigs from the heavy cream and whisk the warm cream into the melted chocolate until emulsified.
Spread evenly over the brownies and chill until the ganache hardens, 30 minutes. Cut into 16 equal-sized brownies.