Bake the Book: Grasshopper Bars

Name: Bake the Book: Grasshopper Bars
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 59 milliliters firmly packed light brown sugar; 1 teaspoon light corn syrup; 3 Tbsps creme de menthe; 142 grams good quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped; 170 grams good-quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped; 3 larges eggs, at room temperature; 2 Tbsps flour; 2 Tbsps heavy cream; 177 milliliters milk; 1 teaspoon peppermint extract; 1 teaspoons salt; 177 milliliters sugar; 118 milliliters (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes; 1 Tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bake the Book: Grasshopper Bars might be just the side dish you are searching for. This recipe makes 12 servings with 346 calories, 4g of protein, and 21g of fat each. This recipe covers 8% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. It is a good option if you're following a vegetarian diet. Head to the store and pick up cocoa powder, corn syrup, creme de menthe, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 3 hours.

Instructions

To make the brownie base: Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Ingredients you will need

Base

Equipment you will use

Oven

Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, and butter the parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.

Ingredients you will need

Cocoa Powder

Butter

All Purpose Flour

Salt

Equipment you will use

Baking Paper

Whisk

Bowl

Frying Pan

Configure a large size double boiler.

Equipment you will use

Double Boiler

Place the chocolate and the butter in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Butter

Water

Equipment you will use

Double Boiler

Bowl

Whisk the sugars until completely combined.

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Frying Pan

Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Butter

Egg

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Ingredients you will need

Vanilla

Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (do not use a whisk) fold the dry ingredients into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Cocoa Powder

All Purpose Flour

Salt

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Whisk

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and bake for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. The brownies should be just a tad underdone (not too gooey, but ideally, just 1 minute from being cooked through completely). A toothpick inserted into the brownies at an angle should contain a few loose crumbs.

Equipment you will use

Offset Spatula

Toothpicks

Oven

Frying Pan

Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool completely while you make the creme de menthe filling.

Ingredients you will need

Creme De Menthe

Equipment you will use

Oven

To make the buttercream: In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Whisk

Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Cream

Milk

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until filling is light and fluffy.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Hand Mixer

Bowl

Add the creme de menthe and peppermint extract and mix until combined. If the filling is too soft, chill slightly in the refrigerator and then mix again until it is the proper consistency.

Ingredients you will need

Peppermint Extract

Creme De Menthe

If the filling is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and re-mix to proper consistency.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Pot

Spread the filling evenly across the top of the brownie layer and place the pan in the refrigerator, for a minimum of 45 minutes, while you make the chocolate glaze.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate Glaze

Spread

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

To make the chocolate glaze: In a large non-reactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate Glaze

Corn Syrup