St. Patricks Day Mint Shamrock Brownies

Chocolate and mint together are one of the most delicious combinations. And mint of course must be green in color, so what better time to bring this fantastic combo together than St. Patrick's Day.

But listen, you don't need to have a full out Irish celebration to include these on your menu. Really - they are perfect all year round.

I thrive on finding easy recipes and ideas to make holidays look like you "went all out" but in reality it was super simple.

This recipe is one of those. Cutting the brownies into shamrocks takes the holiday fun up a notch plus you can even share some fun Irish facts while enjoying them.

FUN IRISH FACTS FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY

1. Why are shamrocks associated with St. Patrick's day?

St. Patrick himself (not Irish by decent), used the green leaf to teach about the trinity. Each leaf on the shamrock represents a member of the trinity: Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Other meanings are that they represent faith, hope, and love.

2. Shamrock VS 4-Leaf Clover.

Did you know they're not the same?! A shamrock has 3 leaves and are often green in color. A clover has 3 or 4 leafs and come in other colors like green, purple or white. 4 leaf clovers are rare - 1 in 10,000 rare and are often said to only be found in Ireland which is where the phrase, "luck of the Irish" comes from. Both are considered to symbolize luck.

3. Why are Shamrock's Lucky?

Before St. Patrick, Druids (the educated class of Celtics) would carry around shamrocks because they believe it would help them ward off evil spirits and danger. If a 4 leaf clover was found it was believed to repel bad luck and provide magical powers.

Did you learn something?? Ok, Ok - onto the recipe!

Grab your favorite box brownie mix or homemade recipe and bake them up and allow to cool. I prefer Ghiradelli Brownie Mix that you can purchase at Costco. I prefer to make them the day before, but if you're doing this last minute - don't stress - I've got some tips for you.

Once the brownies are cooled, spread with Mint Buttercream (colored green of course). I prefer a homemade buttercream but you can certainly purchase canned frosting from the baking isle and add a little mint flavoring and green food coloring.

Mint Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint flavoring

1-2 TBL heavy cream

Pinch Salt

Green food coloring

Cream butter. Add in powdered sugar. Once mixed, slowly add in heavy cream, mint flavoring, salt and color. Beat for 3-5 minutes. The frosting should get lighter in color and fluffy.

Once you've added your mint frosting, next comes the chocolate ganache. I do a 1 to 1 ratio of chocolate chips and cream. You can use milk, semisweet or dark - whatever you like. Microwave for a minute at a time until you can stir without lumps. You will want to make sure it cools to room temperature before spreading on the brownies otherwise it will melt the buttercream. However, if you're in a hurry - it tastes the same and can give a bit of a marbled affect on the top which is fun too!

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XOXO,

Kimberly Marie