Peppermint-Topped Brownies

10 Tb butter
6 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate (either in chip form or broken into pieces)
3 eggs
1 1/2 C sugar
1 Tb vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
bag of peppermint swirl candies (best ones are walmart brand called starlight mints!)
1/2 lb. semisweet chocolate
1 C whipping cream
1. Oven 350. Grease 9 X 13 pan. In medium saucepan, stir butter and bittersweet chocolate over very low heat until just melted (do not let simmer or boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour chocolate-butter mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Into a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then whisk together. With a clean rubber spatula, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.
3.Spread batter evenly in the baking pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until brownies are firm and a toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Let brownies cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Line a level, rimmed 11 1/2- by 164. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Line a level, rimmed 11 1/2- by 16-in. baking sheet with parchment. With a pencil, draw a grid of 1 3/4-in. squares on parchment (5 rows of 8), leaving about a 1-in. border, and turn parchment over. Place a mint in the center of each square. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, or until completely melted into 1 large sheet, but remove before candy begins to turn yellow. Immediately score peppermint squares with a pizza cutter, using pencil lines as your guide. If scored lines don't hold, re-score quickly. Let candy cool completely. Gently break into squares along score lines. Arrange, bake, and score remaining 40 candies the same way (you'll have extra squares; pick the prettiest).
5. In the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl set over simmering water, combine chopped semisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Cook, stirring often, until melted and blended. Remove from heat and let ganache cool until just warm. Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan and allow to set until firm, about 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
6. Place peppermint squares bottom side up on ganache, leaving enough room between squares to cut brownies. Cut brownies into squares along edges of peppermint tops, wiping knife clean between cuts. Remove brownies from pan, discard (or eat) scraps, and return brownies to pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure wrap does not touch peppermint, and refrigerate 3 hours (to soften candy a bit). Serve slightly chilled.
Note - do not let plastic wrap touch brownies! Everything sticks to them. These can be made a couple days ahead and left in fridge! ENJOY!
Thanks - myrecipes.com

-Laura Martin