Peppermint Truffle Brownies

When you and your significant other have families living in different cities and aren't able to host at your own home, the holidays can get a little crazy.

Steve & I normally spend our holidays "yo-yo"-ing between our families' celebrations. We are lucky they only live about 40 minutes from one another, but it can get to be a complex choreography of back and forth scheduling and timelines. {Read: Stress.}

We LOVE spending time with both of our families and wouldn't give up the opportunity to do so for anything in the world, but by the time the holidays are over, we're pooped.

With Thanksgiving just having passed, we're done with the first leg of our "Holiday Hop" and, though this will be our 9th year taking part in this dance between homes, I can tell you it doesn't get any easier! I gave myself a few days off after Thanksgiving to spend some time in my own home to put up decorations, try new recipes and spend some time away from the computer... but you know I can't stay away for too long!

Over the next few weeks I have some exciting things to share {one thing specifically that I CAN'T WAIT to dish about!!} all in preparation for Christmas and the New Year, and today, I'm starting with dessert. {Are you really surprised?}

Because we're usually bringing dishes to our family gatherings, my contribution is usually dessert. Come to think of it, wherever I'm invited, I'm usually asked to bring dessert! Not that I mind one bit, you know my heart is sugar-coated. 🙂

I'm always looking for something festive and new to share, and I've got to tell you, I think I found the perfect use for all those leftover candy canes that wind up floating around after Christmas.

These Peppermint Truffle Brownies are SO rich and SO GOOD. They are a spin-off on a peanut butter version of a recipe I found over at Half Baked Harvest that I just knew I had to try. And, oh my gosh, I'm so glad I did.

I brought these over to a casual girls night with some of my gal pals and eyes immediately lit up when they fell upon these babies. {I think candy canes have that effect on most people.} Between satisfied bites, one friend said, "I don't even like chocolate that much, but these are really good." Another friend agreed, mentioning that she's not usually a fan of peppermint... as she reached for a second piece! I took these reactions as a good sign.

Like I said, these brownies are rich and fudgey and gooey and ridiculous. They have a slight tingle from the peppermint extract without being overpowering and are topped with the most luscious chocolate-marshmallow ganache. {I'm now convinced that everything should be.}

Whether you're spending the holidays in your own home or hopping from house to house to spend time with family and friends, these brownies are going to be a welcome addition to the party! Just beware of the consequences: You may never escape dessert duty again!

Peppermint Truffle Brownies
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

1 stick + 2 tablespoons butter {10 tablespoons total}
¼ cup milk chocolate {I used chips}
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Scant ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 eggs
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk chocolate chips

For "Truffle" Topping
⅓ cup milk chocolate {or semi-sweet} chocolate chips
2 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff


For Garnish
¼ cup smashed candy canes
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 inch pan by lining with overlapping sheets of parchment or foil. This will make it easier to lift the brownie out when it's done.

2. In a large, heat-safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate at 30 second intervals, whisking each time until melted and smooth.

3. To the chocolate/butter mixture, add sugar, instant coffee {if using}, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and eggs. Whisk together until smooth and well incorporated.

4. In another bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add to the wet mixture and fold together until just incorporated {try not to overmix}. The batter will be thick & sticky. Mix in the chocolate chips.

5. Spoon batter into your prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until the top is just set and the edges look a bit puffed. These should be fudgy, so try not to overbake them.

6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, melt chocolate and heavy cream for your truffle topping by microwaving for 30 second intervals, stopping to mix until shiny and smooth. Once melted, add the marshmallow fluff and mix well until the mixture is uniform. Set aside to cool slightly.

7. When the brownie is ready, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. {If the brownie is too hot, the ganache will melt and run all over the place.} One slightly cooled, pour the truffle topping over the brownie, smoothing out evenly over the top. Sprinkle with candy cane pieces.

8. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the topping is set. This will make it easier to cut and get pretty pieces.{Note: I actually put mine in the freezer to speed up the process, then forgot about it and ended up with semi-frozen brownies, which actually made it easier to cut.} If you don't care about how it looks, then feel free to dig in, just be prepared for some messiness!

9. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into squares. {These are rich so I kept my squares small. I got 16 pieces out of it.} If you want to garnish even further, drizzle or pipe the squares with melted semi-sweet chocolate before moving onto a serving platter.

*Instant coffee or espresso powder aren't usually detectable in brownies or chocolate-flavored dishes; they simply add an extra boost to the chocolate flavor. However, found that these had a tiny hint of coffee flavor to them. If you're not fond of the taste, you can decrease the amount added to the recipe or omit it altogether.