Variation on Previous Brownie Recipe

Lately, I have had the baking itch.  I usually do not like to bake because you cannot be as creative with baking as you can with cooking, and let's face it, when I get creative with baking, I usually mess up what I am trying to make.  However, sometimes what I do works out, and this recipe worked out so much better than I expected!  After messing around with my brownie recipe, I came up with this variation.  Peppermint Brownies.  And yes, these brownies do contain a "top secret" ingredient, the same ingredient all my brownies contain - spinach.  Again, these are so good you won't even know you are eating a serving of vegetables!  Oh one other note, yes, they do contain a lot of sugar, but remember, sugar is a whole food that comes from natural sources and is much better for you than artificial sweeteners.  Don't worry, even though I am baking quite a bit right now, I am not eating all of my baked goods. I have been taking them to playgroups, giving them to friends, and donating them to church functions.

 

Peppermint Brownies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 stick of cold butter
• 1/3 cup pureed spinach 
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup (corn syrup is not the same as HFCS, just make sure you buy a brand that does not contain HFCS)
• 1 tsp. pure peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (if desired, I didn't have any today so I left them out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder) and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, eggs, corn syrup, peppermint extract, and pureed spinach.  Start mixing on low speed to break up the butter because otherwise you risk the spinach flying out of the bowl at you!  Increase speed gradually until the butter is mixed into the rest of the ingredients, about 1 minute.  Don't worry if there are still small chunks of butter, they will melt during baking.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together until just mixed into a smooth batter, about 1 minute.  Pour batter into the baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

That's all for now!  Until tomorrow, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!