When I was a kid, my very first job was feeding my neighbor’s cats when she and her husband, a retired federal judge, traveled all around the world. Growing up in rural Arkansas in the mountains, we didn’t have a lot of exotic things, so there was a lot of cool stuff in the world that I never saw. However, because my neighbors traveled all over the place, they had some really cool things. One thing they had was an antique trunk that was completely covered in antique maps. It was so exotic looking. Another thing they had, in addition to a lot of cats and a lot of plants, was some foods and candies I had never seen before.
And that was the first place I ever saw Andes Mints, the decadent little chocolate rectangles with a creme de menthe filling. I thought it was surely the finest chocolate in the world! Certainly, at that time in my life, it was the finest chocolate I had ever eaten. All chocolate melts in your mouth, I guess, but the first time I ever tried one of those, it just seemed so smooth to me. My neighbor had a candy dish with them and she gave me one the first day she showed me around the house and told me how to take care of her beloved felines. By the time she returned from her trip a couple of weeks later, they were all gone.
I had some anxiety about eating all of the lady’s candy, but at Christmas, she handed me a neatly wrapped little box and when I opened it? My own box of Andes Creme de Menthe Thins. This recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies from Delish brings back a lot of memories for me and they’re absolutely delicious!
Happy National Creme De Menthe Day! Andes Creme De Menthe Thins from @TootsieRoll Industries = 😊 #FoodHoliday #CremeDeMentheDay pic.twitter.com/Us1eLgUlyR
— Willis Lam 🇺🇸 (@Pest15) September 15, 2019
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix plus ingredients called for on the box
- 28 Andes candies, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 c. butter, softened
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. mint extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3-4 drops green food coloring
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Alone. In the dark. With an Andes Creme de Menthe. Oh, god. The world is my oyster.
— warmyellowlight (@warmyellowlight) March 6, 2011
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°. Line an 8-x-8” pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Prepare brownie batter according to package instructions and pour into the prepared pan. Top brownie batter with an even layer of Andes candies. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a brownie comes out with only a few moist crumbs, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
3. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, mint extract, milk and a few drops of food coloring. Beat until smooth, then fold in mini chocolate chips.
4. Spread frosting in an even, thick layer over the cooled brownies. Slice into squares. Top with chopped Andes candies.
We found this recipe on the Delish YouTube channel. Check out the full recipe on their website. Watch the video below.