Creme de Menthe Bars

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This is my friend Kim. She was my “little sib” for two years in SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Big Sib-Little Sib mentoring program. She also became one of my closest friends and a fellow SWE officer.

During my final year of college, she brought a pan of creme de menthe bars to a SWE officer potluck. They were rich and sweet and had the perfect balance of mint and chocolate, with neither overwhelming the other. I begged her for the recipe for weeks.

Creme de Menthe Bars 3

For my bridal shower, Kelley asked everyone to bring a copy of their favorite recipe for me to take with me in my move to Ithaca post-wedding. When I opened Kim’s gift and saw the creme de menthe recipe, I did a little happy dance. There may have been a little cheering thrown in there, too.

Creme de Menthe Bars 1

Creme de Menthe Bars

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 24

Creme de Menthe Bars

This recipe comes courtesy of my good friend Kim. They are delicious at any time of the year, but are especially great for a holiday dessert.

Ingredients

    For the bottom layer:
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • For the middle layer:
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 shots) creme de menthe
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • For the top layer:
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

    For the bottom layer:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13" baking pan.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate in the oil, stirring often.
  3. Pour the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and beat with the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour, salt, vanilla and baking soda, beating until well-mixed.
  4. Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake at 350F for 15-25 minutes, or until the edges begin to pull away from the pan. Allow to cool completely before adding the second layer.
  5. For the middle layer:
  6. Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread over the cooled bottom layer and refrigerate. When the middle layer has hardened, add the top layer.
  7. For the top layer:
  8. Melt the chocolate in the oil. Stir until smooth, then spread over the top of the mint layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
http://www.savvyeat.com/creme-de-menthe-bars/

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4 Responses to “Creme de Menthe Bars”

  1. December 15, 2011 at 8:46 am #

    Anything minty-chocolatey is good with me! Yum :)

  2. December 15, 2011 at 9:19 am #

    I’ve always had these with a chocolate bottom, never a brown sugar and vanilla base. Either way, I don’t see how these could ever be bad; mint and chocolate just make for one hell of a dessert.

  3. December 15, 2011 at 1:23 pm #

    ohhh yes, these look so very yummy! i’m a huge fan of mint and chocolate, so these are right up my alley. they remind me of a huge andes mint! :)

  4. December 15, 2011 at 11:17 pm #

    Oh Kim!! :)

    I remember those. Mouth is watering now!

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