Ingredients

10 tablespoon butter, plus more for pan 6 ounces goodquality bittersweet chocolate, broken into large chunks 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 80 hard, round, red-and-white

peppermint swirl candies (17 oz.; see Notes) 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup whipping cream

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9by 13-in. baking pan. In a medium saucepan, stir butter and bittersweet chocolate over very low heat with a heatproof rubber spatula until just melted (do not let

simmer or boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then whisk together. With a clean rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.

3. Spread batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownies are firm, beginning to pull away from sides of pan, and a toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. 4. Reduce oven temperature to 300. Line a level, rimmed 11 1/2- by 16-in. baking sheet with parchment. With a pencil, draw a grid

of 1 3/4-in. squares on parchment (5 rows of 8), leaving about a 1-in. border, and turn parchment over. Place a mint in the center of each square. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until completely melted into 1 large sheet, but remove before candy begins to turn yellow. Immediately score peppermint squares with a pizza cutter, using pencil lines as your guide. If scored lines don't hold, rescore quickly. Let candy

cool completely. Gently break into squares along score lines. Arrange, bake, and score remaining 40 candies the same way (you'll have extra squares; pick the prettiest).

5. In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Cook, stirring often, until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let ganache

cool until just warm.

6. Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan and allow to set until firm, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator. 7. Place peppermint squares bottom side up on ganache, leaving enough room between squares to cut brownies. Cut brownies into squares along edges of peppermint tops, wiping knife clean

between cuts. Remove brownies from pan, discard (or eat) scraps, and return brownies to pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure wrap does not touch peppermint, and refrigerate 3 hours (to soften candy a bit). Serve slightly chilled.

More toppings to try. Why stop at peppermint? Try these other embellishments for our rich, soft brownies. Be generous with amounts, and chill brownies so that the topping sets.

Coconut and Macadamia: Sprinkle shredded toasted coconut and chopped toasted macadamia nuts over the just-warm ganache layer. Crushed Toffee: Sprinkle crushed toffee bits over the just-warm ganache layer. Double Peanut: Warm up naturalstyle peanut butter (creamy or chunky) and spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate until peanut butter is firm; top with

ganache and chopped peanuts.

Raspberry: Spread raspberry jam over cooled brownies and top with ganache. Rocky Road: Preheat broiler. Spread half of the just-warm ganache over cooled brownies, then top with mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts. Broil brownies for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows are toasted and beginning to melt together. Remove from oven and

drizzle with remaining ganache.

White Chocolate Swirl: Spoon dollops of melted white chocolate over the just-warm ganache layer and make marbled swirls using a toothpick or a knife.

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (about 45 cookies) 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels 1/2 cup whipping cream

Preparation

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Beat butter and peanut butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add powdered sugar and vanilla wafer crumbs; beat until blended. Press mixture evenly into a lightly greased

13- x 9-inch baking pan lined with wax paper.

Stir together chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread evenly on top of peanut butter mixture. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes or until slightly softened. Cut into 48 bars.

Ingredients

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup seedless raspberry preserves 2 tablespoons raspb erry liqueur 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 10 (2-ounce) chocolate candy coating squares 3 (1-ounce) white chocolate squares 1 tablespoon shorte ning

Preparation

and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Microwave chocolate morsels in a 4-cup glass measuring cup at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add melted chocolate, preserves, and liqueur, beating until blended. Stir in crumbs; cover and chill 2 hours. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; cover

Microwave chocolate coating in a 4-cup glass measuring cup at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Dip balls in coating; place on wax paper. Place white chocolate and shortening in small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Submerge in hot water until chocolate melts; knead until smooth. Snip a tiny hole in 1

corner of bag, and drizzle mixture over truffles. Let stand until firm. Store in refrigerator or freezer, if desired