Makesabout 6 dozen cookies
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:5 hr
December 2005
These squares practically explode in the mouth with silky, fudgy chocolate and cool mint ganache.
For brownie layer
-
1 1/2
sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
-
10 1/2
oz
fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not extra-bitter or unsweetened and no more than 60% cacao if marked), finely chopped
-
1 1/2
cups
packed light brown sugar
-
3
large eggs, lightly beaten
-
1 1/4
teaspoons
vanilla
-
3/4
cup
all-purpose flour
-
1/4
cup
plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
-
3/4
teaspoon
salt
For mint ganache
-
1/2
cup
heavy cream
-
10
oz
fine-quality white chocolate, chopped
-
2
tablespoons
green crème de menthe
-
1
teaspoon
peppermint extract
For chocolate ganache
-
1
cup
heavy cream
-
10
oz
fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped
-
Special equipment:
an offset spatula
Make brownie layer:
-
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving a 2 inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil.
-
Melt butter and chocolate with brown sugar in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined. Whisk in flour, cocoa, and salt until just combined.
-
Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until set and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
Make mint ganache:
-
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over white chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Stir in crème de menthe and extract and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour.
Make chocolate ganache:
-
Bring cream to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.
Assemble layers:
-
Spread mint ganache over top of cooled brownie in a thin even layer using offset spatula, then chill until firm but still slightly sticky, about 30 minutes.
-
Spread chocolate ganache over mint and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
-
Lift dessert out of pan using foil overhang. Run a heavy knife under hot water and wipe dry, then trim edges of dessert (1/4 inch off each side). Cut dessert into squares and peel from foil.
Cooks' notes:- Squares keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, chilled in an airtight container 3 weeks.
- We recommend Droste unsweetened cocoa and Lindt bittersweet chocolate for this particular recipe.
