Sunday, October 30, 2011

Mint Julep Brownie Bars

I am constantly striving in my day to day life to channel my inner elderly cat lady.  A lot of people dread the things that come with being old-- the day when they can no longer run marathons because of their osteoporosis, or swim great distances because of their creaky joints.  Not me, I say bring it on, because there are a lot of perks that I feel people don't really consider when they think about the horrors of becoming old.  For example, senior discounts at movies and the zoo.  Also, the ability to wear pastel pantsuits and look sassy doing it. When I finally reach my 65th birthday and can officially qualify as a senior citizen, I will triumphantly turn to my 17 cats and say, "look what we have become! we have waited so long to graduate from 'just that weird lady on the block who wanders around with her cats and doesn't appear to have a job' to real live authentic 'crazy cat lady and her trusty cats.'  My friends, that day has finally arrived!"

Ok, was that too much?  Maybe.  Ok definitely.  But really, people have informed me on various occasions that I am very possibly an eighty year old woman in a college student's body(usually in reference to my creaky knees, my deep love for fluffy pets of the feline variety, my obsession with being gramatically correct and obnoxiously correcting people for their grammar mistakes, and my constant baking habits), and I kind of take that as a compliment(whether it is meant to be one or not).  So on this particular weekend afternoon, I was pondering just exactly how to channel my inner grandmotherliness.  As I ransacked my house for ideas, surveying my almost empty fridge(I need to go grocery shopping stat!) it came to me in an epiphany, almost as if a lightning bolt from the sky came down and struck me with the answer- Mint Juleps, anyone? Despite the fact that I have no background whatsoever on mint juleps except that they are a popular beverage during the kentucky derby, I suddenly imagined myself in old age, sitting on a wicker chair on my porch in early summer, sipping on a refreshing mint julep in a silver cup and laughing with my best friends (pretty much the cast of Golden Girls).  Unfortunately, the illusion was shattered as I gazed out my window and realized I would not be sitting on my porch enjoying an icy drink anytime soon, as snow was flurrying about and accumulating on the ground in a somewhat alarming and blizzard-esque manner.  However, still craving a mint julep, I set out to create the perfect combination of refreshing summer beverage and cold weather treat, and that is how these brownies were born!

Mint Julep Brownie Bars


1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mint leaves

combine the 1/3 cup butter, sugar and water; cook and stir over medium heat just until boiling, remove from heat, add the 1 cup of chocolate chips; stir until chocolate is melted. Let cool for a bit, stir in vanilla, bourbon, and eggs.  Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt.  Spread into an 8 x 8 pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean, springy on top, you know the drill! let cool.
For the icing/glaze, combine 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water, along with mint leaves, until sugar is completely dissolved.  Strain to remove the mint leaves and spread the glaze over brownies(when this cools, it gives the brownies a kind of crispy, minty coating that is sooo good!)
easy peasy lemon squeezy!

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