French Mint Brownies (Killer Brownies)

Louise got this recipe from her friend in church, Nancy Lund.  Her children dubbed them "Killer Brownies" because they are so good.  I think it's one of our favorite desserts that Mom makes.

Prep Time: About 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours including cooling time

BROWNIES
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and bake in greased jelly roll pan at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes; cool.

MINT FROSTING
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mint extract
4 Tbsp milk
A few drops of green food coloring

Mix ingredients until fluffy and spread over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate 20 minutes until crusty.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups Hershey's(R) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
4 1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt chips and butter and spread over mint frosting; cool.

*Use Hershey's - don't substitute - Hershey's turns out best

Notes:
-I didn't have room in my fridge, so we let the brownies sit out after frosting until they got crusty
-Louise doubles the chocolate topping so that the chocolate is thicker and the frosting doesn't show through
-Sometimes we drizzle the chocolate over the frosting in a diagonal pattern.  Just put the chocolate in a sandwich bag and snip off one of the corners.


Substitutions - omit mint extract and green food coloring and add one of the following choices:
-Orange extract and orange food coloring
-Strawberry or chocolate confectioner's sugar instead of regular confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-Raspberry extract and red food coloring (or blue!)

German Chocolate Brownies

Prep Time: 35 to 45 minutes

Makes: 1 - 13"x9" pan

Brownie mix (for 13"x9" pan)

Ingredients to make brownies

1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

Make brownies according to package directions. Spread brownies in lightly greased 13"x9" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and coconut on brownie batter. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake as per brownie mix instructions until edges and some of the top is golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.

This started as an experiment. I wanted to make the bar cookies that are sometimes called "Seven Layer Bars" or "Magic Cookie Bars" or "Easiest Cookies in the World". One time I made them with chocolate graham crackers instead of honey grahams and really liked them. So I decided to try using a brownie crust with the "seven-layer" part on top. I made a homemade brownie mix and altered the recipe a bit, but I won't post it since it's in a copyrighted book. I'm sure any brownie mix will work.

I served this at my parents' house and my dad named it. He had two big pieces in about 10 minutes...