Irish Mint Brownies Recipe

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all‑purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon espresso powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup extra‑virgin olive oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Mint Mixture

• ¼ cup fresh Irish spearmint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (for the glaze)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for the glaze)

Instructions

Incorporating Chocolate & Mint

1. Blend cocoa. Sift ¾ cup cocoa powder, ½ tsp espresso powder, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp baking soda together. This prevents lumps and ensures even distribution of flavor throughout the batter.
2. Combine wet and dry. Add the sifted dry mix to the butter‑sugar mixture, stirring gently until just incorporated. Over‑mixing would develop gluten, making the brownies tough instead of fudgy.
3. Emulsify mint. Fold in 2 large eggs, one at a time, followed by 1 tsp vanilla. Then stir in the ¼ cup chopped spearmint and the softened butter for the glaze. The mint should be evenly speckled, not clumped.
4. Finish the batter. Gently fold in 1 ½ cups flour until the batter is just combined. It should be thick but spreadable; a batter that’s too runny will bake into a cake rather than a brownie.