Tell Your Story Recipe: Millie's Mint Brownies

From Allison Hansen

Just like Fern in "Charlotte's Web," my childhood summers revolved around the local fair—with its smelly barns and sketchy midway and funky fried food carts. And also like Fern, I brought my pig to show. And my goats. And my horses. And...my brownies.  

Because I loved to bake, my mother encouraged me to enter an original recipe in the youth Home Arts exhibit. Hoping for a creative advantage, I embellished a classic cakey chocolate brownie recipe with mint. 

On about the third day of sleeping over at the fair, between shifts watching and watering the animals, I snuck away to the exhibit buildings. Scanning row after row of floral arrangements and quilts, I found my brownies between heirloom recipe cookies and canned goods—with a blue ribbon!  

Last summer vacation, as our family created a to-do list, we added an ambitious "Enter the State Fair." Memories flooded as I coached my 7 year-old Millie through the old winning recipe, then days later weaved through the livestock auction and lemonade stands to the Home Arts exhibit hall. I stepped back and watched Millie hunt down her brownies, between cookies and canned goods, to victoriously find her own ribbon! I've decided to name these after her...

MILLIE'S MINT BROWNIES

(note:  these are a dense, cakey brownie, best served with a dollop of ice cream on top!)

             3c cake flour (or 2 2/3 c all-purpose flour with 1/3 c corn starch)

             1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

             1 1/2 teaspoons salt

             1 1/2 c butter, softened

             3 c sugar

             6 eggs, room temperature (rec: large or extra large)

             1 tablespoon vanilla extract

             1/2 teaspoon mint extract

             9 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

1/2 to 1 bag mint chocolate chips, to taste (note: we prefer Hershey's, however, they are seasonal and difficult to find. Andes is a more readily available option)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a standard 12x18 inch jelly roll pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside for later.  

In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar into a dreamy fluff -- 3-4 minutes. Beat the eggs and combine with the creamed mixture. Add vanilla and mint extracts.  est part -- add the melted chocolate to the creamed mixture and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and pour batter into prepared pan. Watch the edges; this recipe makes a little more batter than fits safely in the jelly roll pan. 

(Baker's note: this batter is so heavenly, I do allow one clean-spooned snitch from the staff.)  

Bake 25-30 minutes. When you test with a toothpick, aim for a few moist crumbs.