I made these chocolate mint brownies a few weeks ago for a little party my daughter was throwing for her friends at our house. I chose to make them using regular white flour and white sugar – something that is very unusual for me, as you probably know. Most of the time, I replace these foods with their real food counterparts. My kitchen cupboard is filled with wheat flour, whole cane sugar, organic honey, and other whole foods. So why did I decide to go the other way this time?
Because I wanted to allow myself to chill a little, especially as I was cooking for people who weren’t really used to eating my family’s usual diet. Before someone attacks me in the comments, I do know that white flour and white sugar are the bane of dietary problems in America but I don’t think there is much harm in enjoying one single brownie out of the two pans I made. That one brownie is not going to kill me.
Thanks to completing my GAPS diet, I was able to digest that white garbage food-filled brownie with no issues. My gut is doing better than ever and I no longer need to fear different types of food. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I am suddenly going to start eating those unhealthy things on regular basis. I am fully committed to making my meals in the most organic way possible. But everyone needs a little chill break once in a while.
But if you don’t feel right with it then absolutely there is no need to force yourself to eat white flour! I know people suffer from different dietary issues that can’t always be healed by going on GAPS. If you want, feel free to eat that commercial flour and sugar. But only do so if you feel strong enough. If you completed GAPS then one little brownie made with GAPS-illegal ingredients is probably not going to harm you.
Necessary equipment:
- a saucepan
- a whisk
- a stand mixer
- a large baking dish
- parchment paper
- a mixing bowl
- a wooden spoon
- a sharp knife
Ingredients:
brownies:
- 1 cup of butter (about two sticks)
- 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
- 2 t. of vanilla extract
- 3 T. of brewed coffee
- 2 cups of whole cane sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 3/4 cup of sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
- 1 1/2 t. of baking powder
- 1/2 t. of sea salt
- optional: 1 cup of chopped walnuts or any other nuts (how to soak and dehydrate nuts)
mint icing layer:
- 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature (about one stick)
- 1/2 cup of thick raw honey
- 2 T. of milk
- 1 t. of mint extract
- a pinch of sea salt
- optional: a few drops of natural green food coloring (you can also mix yellow and blue coloring to make green)
chocolate buttercream layer:
- 1 cup of butter at room temperature (about 2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup of thick raw honey
- 2/3 cup of cocoa powder
- 2 t. of vanilla extract
- optional: 2 T. of brewed coffee, chilled
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a large baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edges by an inch or more. Butter the dish beforehand to make the parchment paper stick to the surface. You can also butter the parchment paper as well so that it will be easier to lift the brownie out when it’s done baking and chills.
Brownie batter:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
- Add cocoa powder, coffee, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once cooled, transfer the batter to a stand mixer’s mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and whisk everything together.
- Add the eggs one by one, whisking after each one.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to your stand mixer’s bowl but do it carefully and gradually.
- Your batter is now ready. If you want to, you can stir in some nuts at this point. Use a wooden spoon to do this.
- Pour the batter into your baking pan. Smooth the top to make it even.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know your brownies are ready when you can see the batter is set after you shake the pan slightly. You can also use the toothpick method: insert a toothpick in the brownie and if it’s dry then you’re done.
- Remove from oven and leave to cool.
Mint icing layer:
- Mix butter and honey using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Add the mint extract, milk, salt, and optionally, the food coloring. Continue mixing, first at low speed and gradually increasing the speed until all the ingredients fully combine.
- Put the mint frosting on top of your chilled brownies.
- Transfer the brownies to the freezer to harden the icing.
Chocolate buttercream layer:
- Mix butter and honey using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and optionally, coffee. Continue mixing, first at low speed and gradually increasing the speed until all the ingredients fully combine.
- Take out the chilled brownies from the freezer and frost them with the chocolate buttercream layer.
- You can put the brownies back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to help all the layers set.
- Take out the brownies and cut them into square pieces using a sharp knife. The parchment paper should separate from the brownies with no problems.
Enjoy these mint chocolate brownies!