White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge Brownies
A dark rich fudge brownie topped with a white chocolate peppermint fudge
Servings: 16 squares
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 10 tablespoons 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder natural or Dutch-process
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cold large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
For the Fudge layer
- 1 12- ounce bag of white chocolate chips
- 1 14- ounce can of condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red food coloring optional
Instructions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a square baking pan (8x8 or 9x9) with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
- Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.
- Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
- Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
- Once the brownies are cool, prepare the fudge. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract. Microwave in 1 minute intervals, stirring in between minute, for up to 5 minutes, until mixture is smooth. Pour over the brownies. Spread smooth. To make the red swirl, add 4-5 drops of red food coloring to the top of the fudge. Then use a knife and make criss cross motions in the fudge swirling the red food coloring.
- Allow the fudge to set, the lift the brownies out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares. Serve.
Notes
- Use good quality cocoa powder. When cocoa powder is the star of the movie brownie, you want to be use a good quality cocoa powder. It really does make a HUGE difference. I'm a huge fan of this cocoa powder-Valrhona Chocolate Cocoa Powder 100% cacao 1 lb
. You can use either natural or dutch process cocoa powder.
- Room Temperature is key- The no bake fudge layer gets spread on top of the brownies after they are baked. Just be sure to wait until the brownies are completely cooled.
- When making the fudge...be sure to microwave in 1-minute intervals. You want to stir in between each minute so as to not burn the chocolate. It should take no longer than 5 minutes.