Holiday sweets are on the menu here at Dirty Laundry Kitchen including Grasshopper Brownies, a family favorite. I know we all have lots of parties this month, which means hostess gifts, cookie shares, school cookies, and of course, cookies for Santa, if your family is into that sort of thing. Grasshopper Brownies is one of those recipes that my mom used to make when I was little, and of course we helped. Looking back, that is probably one of the many reasons that we made them almost every year. It’s a great cookie to include your kids in the making and decorating process, because Grasshopper Brownies are very straightforward, easy to make, and include simple decorations that come out well no matter who is in charge. The brownie recipe is plenty dense and chewy and as long as you keep the Grasshopper Brownies well-wrapped, they seem to age very well. The top layer of creamy mint frosting and chocolate glaze seal the moisture inside the brownies. Aside from storing well, you can make them in stages and do a little of the work each day, which also make this a great recipe for the busy holiday season. And gorgeous, have I mentioned gorgeous? These Grasshopper Brownies are really beautiful and a welcome departure from more traditional Holiday cookies, especially if you’re a chocolate person (like my mom). She always claims that holiday cookies have a shocking lack of chocolate for her taste. These delicious and festive Grasshopper Brownies stand out on a cookie tray, but not for long, because they are quick to disappear.
Grasshopper Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 2 cups nuts optional*
- Mint Frosting
- Chocolate Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Beat butter until light and fluffy.
- Then beat in sugar for a couple of minutes. The mixture will be very fluffy and almost white.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Beat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the vanilla and corn syrup.
- When fully incorporated, add the cocoa powder.
- Add the salt and baking powder.
- Mix in the flour until just incorporated.
- Nuts*
- Butter a 9x13 pan. Spread batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes (30 is gooey-er, 40 is cakier).
- Let cool completely. The toaster is a perfect cooling rack. That's where I cooled mine.
- Make the mint frosting.
- When brownies are cool, spread frosting evenly over the brownies.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. - Make the Chocolate Glaze.
- Drizzle and then spread it over the cold brownies.
Let set completely. - Using a hot knife (run a hot damp towel over the blade) cut into 40 squares.
- Garnish with mini m&ms if you can find them.
Or there’s a new mint version that’s a recent addition. I bet they’d be great. Use a little melted chocolate to set the m&ms if the chocolate glaze is really firm.
Notes
$pendy/ Thrifty Alteration: Short on time? Use a mix of your choice for the brownies- no one will ever know!
Mint Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon mint extract
- green coloring as preferred
Instructions
- Beat the butter until fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar.
- Then add the mint and food coloring.
- Finally, add the milk a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate and butter (the microwave is fine as long as you don’t scorch it- slow and steady).