Peppermint Brownies

One of my favourite things in the world to do is bake. I really fell in love with it about 6 years ago when I realized that it did wonders for calming my anxiety. I started just making boxed cakes and cookies and brownies but now there is nothing I love more than making things from scratch.

Now that I've gotten a bit better at it, I like to experiment with recipes that I find online until I find what I like best. My friend has a birthday coming up and I figured this was as good a time as any to play around using the standard brownie recipe I use (which is more on the cakey side and isn't overpoweringly chocolate-y or sweet).

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Ingredients:
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅔ cups butter (or ⅓ cups olive oil)
• ½ cup water
• 1 egg
• ½ cup rice cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To start, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, mix butter, water, egg, vanilla and peppermint. In parts, add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until smooth.

Once the batter is finished and you've placed your batter into the prepared baking pan (greased or ungreased), top with rice cereal. Place into the oven and bake until tester toothpick or fork comes out clean (about 15 to 20 minutes).

Let cool and cut as desired.

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And that is basically all I did. For a more heavy chocolate taste, increase cocoa powder to one cup, and for more sweetness, add more sugar to your liking.

I am by no means a baker extraordinaire, I just like to try things. I quite liked these and my family seemed to as well. Feel free to give them a try.

Until next time!