Peppermint Grasshoppers.

At our holiday pot luck one of my co-workers brought the most delicious peppermint brownies and I couldn't resist asking for the recipe. Some call them peppermint brownies, others call them grasshopper brownies; I prefer the latter. I finally whipped them up and am sad to see that there are none left. Zero! Zilch! Which is also a good thing since it is a testament to how yummy they were. I made a few alternations from the original recipe and of course, I shared it with you below. There are three layers: a brownie layer, a mint frosting layer, and a hard chocolate topping. A word of advice: break those New Year's resolutions and make them. Fast. I will warn you though, it took a lot of self-control to hold myself back once the brownie layer was baked!

Grasshopper Brownies

1 Box Brownie Mix
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon peppermint extract (to taste)
3-4 drops food coloring
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Bake the brownie mix according to the package directions and let cool. To make the brownies easier to lift out of the pan, I lined my pan in tin foil. Note: I also tried baking them without the foil and it worked out great just greasing the pan with butter.

Beat together the confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup of butter, and peppermint extract in a bowl. Spread over the brownie and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

On the stove or in the microwave (I used the microwave for a total of about 45 seconds and it was very easy) melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter and the semisweet chocolate chips. Spread evenly over the mint icing and refrigerate until firm for about an hour. Remove from the microwave and cut into small, bite-size pieces.