Mojito Brownies

The other day one of my bosses requested that I come up with a few different brownies featuring mint. Of the three varieties I created today, this is the one I like best so far.... (this is a lengthy and involved original recipe, allowing me to feel less guilty about the fact that I posted rice krispie treats yesterday)


There's rum in the brownies, schnapps in the ganache icing, and oodles of chocolate throughout. 100% awesomeness. This can all be done with extracts, of course, but the real booze gives it a nice punch - especially since this brownie attempts to mimic a cocktail.

Chocolate Mojito Brownies
yeild: one 20" x 12" hotel pan

Brownie Ingredients:

• 454 g butter
• 230 g the best dark chocolate you can find
• 125 mL white rum
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups white sugar
• 8 Lg eggs
• ½ tsp salt
• 125 mL cocoa
• 750 mL all-purpose flour
• zest from 4 limes

Method:

1. melt butter over medium heat
2. remove from stove and add chocolate (chopped fine) mix until smooth
3. add rum and mix well
4. set aside to cool slightly
5. cream eggs, salt and sugars with beater at medium speed until light and fluffy
6. reduce to lowest mixer speed, then add chocolate mixture and lime zest
7. add flour and cocoa, mixing until just incorporated
8. pour into prepared pan(s) and bake @ 350° F until done (about 25 minutes)

Topping Ingredients:

• 400 g dark chocolate
• 200 mL 35% cream
• 200 mL peppermint schnapps
• 100 g white chocolate

Method:

1. heat cream and 100 mL of the schnapps to almost boiling
2. remove from heat and add chocolate (chopped fine) mix until smooth
3. add remaining schnapps and mix well
4. set aside to cool slightly
5. melt white chocolate in a double boiler
6. set aside to cool slightly
7. pour chocolate schnapps mixture over cooled brownies and allow to set 10 minutes
8. spoon slightly cooled white chocolate into piping bag with 2mm plain tip
9. pipe straight lines across top
10. draw back of knife through lines in opposite directions to create herring bone pattern
11. refrigerate at least 20 minutes to set

If I could do it over again (which I plan to do of course!), I'd omit the chocolate in the brownies and replace the cocoa with as much ground coconut making it a blond brownie, better complimenting the refreshing tropical flavors. For the topping, I would use white chocolate where dark chocolate was used, and melted green molding wafers for the marbled lines.

The end. Sleep happens now.