Candy Cane Brownie Bites

Merry Christmas!! I love love love these candy cane brownie bites. They are going in my holiday cookie boxes for sure this year. Mint and chocolate are one of my favorite holiday flavors, and these brownies are the perfect way to showcase it. They're really fudgey and chocolatey with a hint of mint and crunchy chewy candy cane pieces on top. Yum! Give these a try for something different with your Christmas cookies this year. I went out and bought the prettiest cookie boxes at the craft store today, and I can't wait to fill them up with Christmas goodies. Tomorrow the tree is {finally} going up, and we'll be decorating it with mugs of hot cocoa and homemade stained-glass ornaments and popcorn garland. Did I mention that breakfast with Santa is also happening in the morning? Love this time of year!

Candy Cane Brownie Bites

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tbl dark unseeetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
11 ounces dark chocolate (60-72%)
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temp
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
12 candy canes, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini cupcake pan heavily with non-stick spray. This recipe makes 70-80 brownie bites, so use as many pans as you have.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water melt the chocolate and butter until smooth. Turn the heat off and whisk in both sugars. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Whisk in 3 eggs until just combined. Whisk in the other 2 until just combined. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract and whisk until combined (don't overmix at this stage). Sprinkle the flour mixture overtop and fold in with a rubber spatula just until no flour is visible.

Fill the mini cupcake tins 1/2 of the way full and sprinkle with candy cane crumbs. Bake 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Immediatly top with more candy cane crumbs.

Source: Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.