Altoid Brownies Recipe
These are not subtle. They’re dense, fudgy brownies with a sharp, aggressive peppermint flavor from the crushed Altoids. The key is not overbaking them; the high sugar content from the candies can make the edges burn quickly. They are significantly better the next day once the flavors have settled.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure peppermint extract
- 2 packages Altoid peppermints (~100-140g), crushed
Prep the Pan and Mints
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the sides to use as handles later. Butter the foil.
Put the Altoids in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. You’re looking for a coarse powder with some small, gravel-like pieces remaining for texture. Don’t pulverize it into complete dust.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
Melt the Base
Set a large, heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (a double boiler). Add the butter and both types of chopped chocolate to the bowl.
Let it all melt, stirring occasionally until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy. There should be no lumps.
Build the Batter
Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in both the granulated and brown sugars until they are fully incorporated. The mixture will look grainy; this is normal.
Add the 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks, along with the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Whisk vigorously until the batter becomes thick, glossy, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Fold Gently
Sprinkle the flour mixture and the crushed Altoids over the top of the chocolate batter.
Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients in until just barely combined. You want to see a few streaks of flour remaining. Overmixing at this stage will develop gluten, which is what makes bread chewy but makes brownies tough and cakey. Stop before you think you should.
Bake and Wait
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.
Bake for ~30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist, fudgy crumbs attached, not wet batter. The edges will look set, but the center will seem slightly underdone. This is what you want.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This will take at least 2 hours. Do not rush this. Once cool, cover the pan and let them sit overnight at room temperature. The texture and flavor are fundamentally better after this rest period.
Use the foil handles to lift the entire block of brownies out of the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Altoid Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 70% cacao, chopped
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, cubed
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure peppermint extract
- 2 packages Altoid peppermints ~100-140g, crushed
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9×13 pan with buttered foil, leaving overhang.
- Crush Altoids in ziplock bag to coarse powder with some small pieces.
- Whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Melt butter and both chocolates in double boiler until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk granulated and brown sugars into chocolate mixture.
- Add eggs, yolks, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Whisk until thick and glossy.
- Fold in flour mixture and crushed Altoids just until barely combined.
- Pour into prepared pan, smooth top.
- Bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick shows moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in pan (2+ hours), then rest overnight at room temperature.
- Lift using foil handles and cut into squares.
