Mint Chocolate Frosted Brownies

I am going to sneak in one last post about our trip to Chicago. My sister-in-law asked me to bring along dessert for our dinner on Saturday. Of course, I asked Mike what he thought I should make for the occasion. That was probably a mistake since I love chocolate and he is not the biggest fan when it comes to chocolate. His suggestion was that I should make the lemon pie bars that I posted a few posts ago. But I know that even though he is not that big on chocolate there are members of his family that like chocolate as much as I do. So needless to say I ended up making the lemon pie bars, but also these mint chocolate frosted brownies.

It just so happens that Mike does like the combination of mint and chocolate, so he ended up one lucky guy. If you like a nice dense fudge brownie you will love these. The brownies were actually supposed to be baked in a jelly roll pan, but I wanted a little thicker brownie so I ended up baking these in a 9 x 13 pan. I liked how they turned out in the smaller pan, it was just the right thickness of brownie for me. Then there is the mint layer, which uses cream cheese and the mint is added to this. I really wonder how cream cheese and mint would pair together, but there was no problem with it. Then comes a thin layer of chocolate to cap off these mint brownies.

Needless to say these brownies were a big hit. From the youngest to the oldest, they all enjoyed the brownies. It makes my day to see people enjoying the food that I have made. So if you are a fan to mint and chocolate I would hope you would try these bars, they really are that yummy.

Mint Chocolate Frosted Brownies (Adapted from cooks.com)
Brownies:
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
Melt butter and cocoa together. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar gradually beating well. Stir in flour. Bake in greased 9 x 13 (or if you prefer a jelly roll pan) at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before adding other layers.

Mint Layer:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 (3 ounces) package cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 drops green food coloring
Combine all ingredients and spread over cooled brownies in a pan.

Frosting:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over mint layer. Keep refrigerated.