Shortbread Crust (with Brownies on top!)

As soon as I saw this recipe on a blog I read (Picky-Palate), I knew I had to make it. It's all the things I love: brownies, shortbread, and Hershey's Kisses.  All in one recipe! And I knew instantly that I wanted to use the peppermint flavored Kisses (the white ones with the red candies sprinkled inside). I love the combination of peppermint and chocolate.

You start this recipe by making a shortbread crust. (Which, by the way, I'm excited to find other uses for.) Butter, brown and granulated sugars, and flour get mixed together and pressed into the bottom of your pan.

Now, the recipe I was working from called for an 11x7 inch baking dish, which I don't have. The brownie mix was for a 9x13 inch pan, so I used that. Very soon after I started adding my Kisses (about 50, distribute them evenly) did I start getting nervous about not having the right sized pan.

Can you guess why I was worried? I'll get back to that in a minute.

Now make your brownies, according to the box directions. (I'm still looking for a good, easy brownie recipe that's not from a box.) Then add to your pan.

Oops, now you can really see why the 11x7 pan was needed! The kisses are too tall. (I remedied this during baking by tapping the tops down after they had gotten hot and melty. The frosting then covers any imperfections.)

Wait until they are cooled completely and then cut into squares. For the frosting, I used white chocolate chips instead of more kisses, as the original recipe called for. I thought the peppermint flavor would be too strong if I melted more Kisses for the top, so I used white chocolate. You can melt it in your microwave (using 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring each time) or a double boiler. (I make my "double boiler" by boiling water in a sauce pan and placing  my chips in a bowl placed on top of the pan. Just make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.)

As you can see, they turned out pretty good. The only problem I had with them was that the kisses didn't stay white. But they were delicious. Sinfully sweet. Hearty, like a meal. I was satisfied; a new recipe to add to my collection.

And then a friend of mine showed me these:

And I thought to my self: "Oh my goodness, I have to make those brownies again!"

So I did. And I think Jordan's teacher, and her friends' moms, are tired of me. Because there was no way I was leaving them in my house. Because I would have eaten them. All of them. Probably at one time.

This time I used a 9x9 inch pan instead of the large one. It covered the kisses a little better (so I didn't have to poke them during baking).

I decided not to frost this batch. I'll admit, I was feeling lazy. And, except for the fact that they weren't as "pretty", I think they tasted just fine, maybe even better than the ones with the frosting. I had meant to sprinkle the top with Christmas sprinkles since I wasn't adding frosting, but I forgot. (That's what I get when I bake while Jordan is having a playdate.)

What do you think? Don't you wish you had scratch and sniff for the computer?

  

The kisses held their shape better this time (probably since I wasn't poking them!) And the green truffle center kept it's color too.

 

Okay, I think I need to stop looking at these pictures now. Yes, these bars are so good that I'm seriously considering making another batch right now. Because, curiously, ever since discovering them, those Hershey's Mint Truffle Kisses have had a permanent residence in my pantry.

Enjoy!

Brownies with Crust! Printer-Friendly recipe