Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Brownies

 
In the spring of my freshman year of high school, one of my girlfriends I had met at a backpacking camp a few summers earlier invited me to her birthday party. Since she lived four towns over and we depended on our parents for rides to each other’s houses, we rarely saw each other, so I offered to come over early to help her finish preparing for the party and squeeze in a little extra time to hang out before her friends from school arrived.  

Unlike most stereotypical teenage birthday parties where kids chased each other in laser tag or careened about in bumper cars, my friend hosted a dinner party at her house—entirely catered by her! She loved to cook, and despite her lactose intolerance, she created a five-course gourmet meal for all of us to enjoy.

Although she had already prepared most of the savory courses by the time I arrived, ranging from bruschetta topped with plump Farmer’s Market tomatoes to a salad of mixed greens with homemade crunchy herbed croutons to angel hair pasta intertwined with sautéed squash and fancy olive oil, she still needed to assemble the dessert. I quickly offered to help, especially since it involved lots of chocolate!
 

 
Using cupcake liners, she had crafted small “bowls” made of melted dark chocolate by painting it into the centers and allowing it to harden. Inside, she planned on piping swirls of rich chocolate mousse made with tofu as the base, then topping it with slivers of freshly sliced strawberries and a chocolate-covered espresso bean.

Wow!

While filling the little dark chocolate cups, I snuck a tiny taste of the mousse. I had never heard of dessert made from tofu before then, and I knew I’d go crazy waiting three hours for the final course to eat it along with the rest of the guests! After my sample, I started to wish that she had made enough for extras… I definitely wanted seconds—and even thirds—of that chocolaty treat!
 

 
That was also the first time I had tried coffee and chocolate together, in the form of that chocolate-covered espresso bean garnish. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste then, I’ve slowly warmed up to it over the years, and now it’s one of my favorite flavor combinations… Which is why I was sorely tempted to hide these Fudgy Peppermint Mocha Brownies from my family and save them all for myself!
 

 
Let’s start with the dry ingredients. These healthier brownies begin with whole wheat flour and cocoa powder. To produce their really rich and decadent taste, you’ll use equal amounts of both. Yes, that’s right! A full ¾ cup of flour and cocoa powder. Unlike many traditional recipes, this one only uses cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor, not melted chocolate, which makes these brownies about as easy as a boxed mix to make.

Remember, it’s extremely important to measure both the flour and cocoa powder correctly! Too much of either will dry out the brownies, and extra cocoa powder will make the brownies taste bitter. Use the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the latter. This is the inexpensive kitchen scale that I own, and I use it for every recipe that I publish on this blog because it guarantees that all of my baked goodies turn out with the proper taste and texture every time.
 

 
To create the peppermint mocha flavor, you’ll need two important ingredients: peppermint extract and instant coffee. Peppermint extract can be found on the baking aisle near the vanilla extract, and it’s very potent! A little goes a long way, so you’ll only use ½ teaspoon in these brownies.

Instant coffee is different than regular coffee grounds. It looks like coarse crystals, as you can see in the photo above, and will dissolve in most liquids and yogurts. You’ll mix it into the Greek yogurt for these brownies! Because it can dissolve in the yogurt, it adds a big coffee flavor without extra liquid. Regular coffee grounds won’t do this, so please don’t try to substitute them!

Tip: If instant coffee isn’t something you typically stash in your pantry, try buying a small box of single-serving packets, like these.
 

 
For the fudgiest texture, you’ll bake these brownies low and slow at 300°F for just 15 minutes. The center will still look glossy and slightly underdone when you pull out the pan—and that’s good! The heat from the surrounding pan and brownie batter will continue to cook the center brownies as the pan cools, resulting in extra fudgy brownies instead of dry, cakey, or overdone ones.

Tip: You can tell that the brownies are done by looking at the edges of the pan 10-15 minutes after removing them from the oven. The brownie edges should begin to pull away from the pan if they’re done.

I know it’s really hard—or practically next to impossible!—to wait for the brownies to fully cool and set before slicing, but I promise that the extra fudgy texture is entirely worth the wait.
 

 
Then grab a glass of milk or coffee and sink your teeth into one of these irresistible brownies!
 

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