JJ's Irish Brownies!

Perfect quick dessert or treat for your friends, these are great for St. Patrick's Day or anytime!  

Brownies!! They are dense, fudgy, packed full of chocolate, and infinitely customizable depending on your favorite flavors. There are peanut butter brownies, salted caramel, mint, Oreo, cheesecake… you name an ingredient, and I guarantee a brownie has been made with it. Our St. Patrick's party needed something new and yummy. Could anything be better than really yummy brownies with an Irish twist? I just added Irish cream liqueur and some bittersweet chocolate pallets to a basic brownie recipe. For the frosting I added Irish cream liqueur and green food coloring to a cream cheese frosting.

Irish Brownies

Cook time: 20 Min  Prep time: 15 Min  Serves: 16

Ingredients
 

BROWNIES:

1 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate chips or I used pallets

1/2 c unsalted butter(I use Irish, as we love the flavor)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c irish cream liqueur

2 eggs, beaten

IRISH CREAM FROSTING:

1/4 c cream cheese

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened(I use Irish, as we love the flavor)

2 Tbsp Irish cream liqueur

3-4 drops green food coloring

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

DRIZZLE:

1 ounce Bittersweet chocolate melted
 or garnish with Andes mint square

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square pan. In a small bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 

 Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave safe medium bowl. Watch carefully. Stir to blend. Stir in sugar and liqueur. With a whisk beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour mixture. Spread 1/2 the batter in buttered pan, sprinkle 2 ounces of chocolate chips or pallets, then spread remaining batter over the top. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool.

2. Make frosting: In a mixer bowl beat cream cheese and butter until well mixed and smooth. Add liqueur and food coloring. Mix well. Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Prepare drizzle: Melt semi-sweet chocolate, pour into a pastry bag fitted with tip or cut a tiny corner off a freezer bag.

3. Frost cooled brownies with green frosting and then drizzle with melted chocolate, I drizzled in a plaid-ish pattern. Refrigerate for 2 minutes, then score where you want to cut bars (so that chocolate won't just break up when you cut the cooled bars). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow frosting to firm up. Makes 16 brownies small brownies. 

 Our Irish party on March 17 will be hosted by my close friend, Jane. The QUEEN of the Corned beef and cabbage recipe on my blog, posted March of 2012. We will be skiing Whistler Blackcomb in BC, for a week with my children and grandchildren. Lot's of fun in store next week!

 If you want to change up your menu, Beef Shepards Pie or Pork Shepards Pie are great options! Dessert options include delicious Irish Coffee Caramel Mousse.  Left over corned beef? Check out Reuben sandwich on Sew whats cooking with Joan!

Irish fun!