Peppermint Brownie Pie

Wow, how December flies. It seems like I was just planning all kinds of treats and goodies for Christmas snacking, and now the Solstice is upon us and all I’ve posted is a recipe for Gingerbread Muffins. (Although I did bake a batch of these M & M cookies that were just as good as they usually are.)

Well, here’s a fairly decadent Christmas dessert that won’t have you slaving away for hours. It’s basically a straightforward brownie batter baked in a pie crust and served in wedges because, hey, it’s a pie. I’ll admit I used a store-bought pie crust to make this, the kind that come rolled up, two to a box. I have made it with Easy Cream Cheese Pastry as well, and that was quite good. Just about any single-crust pastry recipe will probably do. It’s kind of all about the brownie filling anyway. There’s a bit of peppermint extract in that brownie batter to give it some holiday essence, but you could certainly replace it with vanilla extract (or even almond or rum extract) if you don’t want the mint.

 

For me, the chocolate and peppermint combination means Christmas, so I like it there for my holiday dessert. The mint isn’t the only highlight of this pie, however. It’s dense and gooey, especially when served while still a bit warm. It also keeps well, which is good because it’s rich enough to make it difficult to eat the entire pie in one day, unless you have a crowd to feed.

I particularly like this Peppermint Brownie Pie a la mode with candy cane ice cream, but, alas, one of my many holiday failings this year is the lack of something so festive on hand. I’m sure come January, I’ll appreciate the busy-ness that kept me from over-baking and overindulging this year!

Peppermint Brownie Pie

Adapted from Midwest Living December 2009
 

Pastry for 9-inch pie

½ cup unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
 

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. When most of the butter and chocolate have melted, remove from the heat.  Stir a few more times to melt the remaining chocolate.  Let stand 20 minutes to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry dough and crimp as desired. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the butter and chocolate mixture. Beat in the sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract.  Beat in the flour.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell. Bake at 350 F for 55 minutes or until the filling is puffed and appears dry, glossy and slightly cracked.  Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or completely cooled with ice cream or whipped cream.

Makes 8-10 servings.

 

Another recipe like this one: Layered Brownie Ice CreamDessert (Try it with peppermint ice cream!)

One year ago: Eggnog Muffins with Streusel Topping, Pork and Tangerine Stir Fry