Gluten Free Peppermint Brownie Bars

These are a sweet treat that I am truly enjoying. Its gluten-free and since the ingredients are all relatively healthy, my son can enjoy them and really feels he is getting a special treat. They are easy to make and pretty to serve. Make sure you grease the pan well and chill the bars thoroughly though, or you may find removing them a challenge.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grass-fed butter
1/4 cup of organic dark chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 cup sucanat
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of millet or alternative flour

1/4 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup softened grassfed butter
2 cups of powdered sugar(mine was made with sucanat)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup cream

1-2 T organic dark chocolate chips
1 T crushed peppermint candy(optional)

The How To's
Grease a 13x9 inch pan with butter or coconut oil. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate chips and stir till melted. Set aside.

In your mixer, beat the eggs until fluffy. Gradually add the Sucanat until you have whipped up a light fluffy mixture. Mix in the vanilla extract until thoroughly blended. Lower your mixer to a medium speed and slowly pour in the melted chocolate, which should still be warm.  Add the peppermint extract. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in the sea salt and then lower the speed to low and sprinkle in the flour. Turn off the mixer, stir in the nuts. Pour the somewhat thin batter into your greased pan.

raw batter

Bake for about 15-18 minutes. The somewhat thin chocolate mixture will look like brownies when you remove it. Set on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

cream starts to thicken

In your clean mixer, cream the butter and gradually mix in your powdered sugar.  light and fluffy, add your peppermint extract and then gradually add your cream at a high speed, whipping until it holds its shape well. Scrape down the sides regularly and watch for the cream to reach a nice consistency for spreading. Do not overmix or the cream will convert to butter and the whey will ruin your frosting.

Spread your frosting over the brownies. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and candy over the top to give it a festive look. At this point I tried to loosen the brownie from the bottom of the pan, but cutting was challenging. I realized I did not use enough coconut oil to grease the bottom of the pan, so make sure you use enough. I then refrigerated until the frosting was more firm and cut them.