Mint Cheesecake brownies have teased me for the past 3 years. I finally made them and now I wonder why I waited.
They are on the cover of one of my favorite line of cookbooks from Goose Berry Patch. My grandmother gave me my first GBP cookbook a few years ago and it became an instant favorite. Over the years I have added 1 or 2 books a year to the collection and I love the seasonal themed books. They have user-submitted recipes but also stories and memories of cooks from all over the nation.
When I got this cookbook, I knew I wanted to try the brownies on the cover and well, that was 3 years ago. I FINALLY made them! However, I had to adapt the recipe to make it gluten-free and less sugar.
This recipe is a little time intensive but what will help is to read the entire recipe and have all ingredients and bowls/containers ready. While the brownie part is baking, quickly make the cheesecake layer. While that is baking, make your top layer. Have your pan sprayed, potholders and cooling racks ready, and a timer ready.
The entire cooking time is about 45 minutes and cooling/setting can take up to 2-3 hours before it is completely set. The longer it sets in refrigerator, the better the cutting results. This makes 15 servings.
Mint cheesecake and brownies combine for a spectacular holiday treat.
Ingredients
4 1-oz squares of unsweetened baking chocolate coarsely chopped ( I used Baker’s)
1/2 cup PLUS 2 Tablespoons of butter, divided
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of Gluten-free all-purpose flour. I use Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tablespoon of corn starch
14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 drops of green food coloring
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Garnish-crushed peppermints.
Instructions
Brownie Layer
Preheat oven to 350*
Melt baking chocolate with 1/2 cup of butter until smooth. I used a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
In a mixer bowl, combine sugar, 3 eggs, vanilla, and flour. Pour in melted chocolate mixture. Turn on mixer and incorporate well for about 1 minute.
Pour in greased 9×13 pan. Cook 12 minutes. Quickly wash out mixer bowl and prepare next layer.
Cheesecake layer
Beat cream cheese, 2 Tablespoons of butter, and cornstarch until fluffy.
Gradually beat in condensed milk, remaining egg, extract, and food coloring.
Pour mixture over hot chocolate layer. My brownie layer was very uneven and the green mixture pooled in the middle. It still turned out great because it spread over the entire layer while cooking.
Put pan back in oven and continue cooking both layers for another 30 minutes OR UNTIL IT IS SET. (Note: my green layer started turning brown, as pictured below, and I pulled it out of the oven but it was not done. The green layer was still wet. I continued baking for a total of 30 minutes.)
While the pan is cooking, prepare the last layer.
Top Layer
Combine chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream until melted. I used the same bowl as step 2 in brownie layer. Make sure bowl is CLEAN AND DRY. Any bit of water can cause chocolate to bind. Stir over low heat until fully combined.
Spread over completely COOKED (not cooled) cheesecake layer.
Sprinkle with peppermints.
Let cool on counter about an hour. Refrigerate until set (about another hour). Keep stored in refrigerator.
