Fudge Mint Brownies

PREPARE BROWNIES:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with foil and spray bottoms and sides with cooking spray. Set aside.

Put unsweetened chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave, checking every 15-seconds to stop and stir. Do not scorch the chocolate (so don't walk away and leave it unattended in the microwave)! It should only take approximately 1-minute to melt the chocolate. Stir mixture until smooth. Wait a few minutes for mixture to cool before adding eggs one at a time to the chocolate mixture, mixing each egg into mixture completely before adding the next egg. Add sugar, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and stir until well incorporated into the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, but do not overstir or overwork the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out without any raw batter on it. Let brownies cool completely before making the frosting.

PREPARE PEPPERMINT CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add butter and beat until incorporated and smooth with the cream cheese. Slowly add one cup of the powdered sugar to the mixture and mix on low until combined with the butter. Add the heavy cream, peppermint and vanilla extracts and remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the mixer and mix on low until incorporated, and then increase speed to medium-high to whip frosting until fluffy and creamy (stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed).

Frost cooled brownies with the peppermint buttercream and place in the refrigerator to cool and set completely. While the frosting is setting, prepare chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

In a microwave safe bowl, put chocolate chips and cubed butter in the bowl and pour heavy cream over the chocolate chips, covering it. Melt chocolate in the microwave for approximately 60-90 seconds. Melt in 30-second increments, stopping to stir and check to make sure you are only melting the chocolate to the point it is semi-melted. Remove from microwave and stir until chocolate melts completely in the warm mixture and is smooth. Add vanilla extract to the mixture and slowly add the powdered sugar, stirring until smooth and creamy. Pour frosting onto the top of the cooled brownies and spread over the peppermint buttercream, creating the top layer of the brownies. Put brownies back in the fridge until set.

Cut into desired sized squares and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.