Peppermint Mocha Latte Brownies

Peppermint Mocha Latte Brownies 

I was desperate to come up something to bake at the last minute for an office birthday and was inspired  by a McDonald's billboard advertising lattes.... that got me thinking about holiday flavors like peppermint and chocolate combined. Sooooo we have peppermint and coffee-spiked brownies with a layer of fudge on them, topped with whipped cream, crushed candy canes and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, just like your favorite holiday latte. With a fantastic Ghiradelli mix as the base, these couldn't be easier to put together! 

• 2 boxes Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate brownie mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee or instant espresso
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
• 1 jar Smucker's Hot Fudge topping
• 4 candy canes or a handful of peppermint hard candies, crushed
• 3 cups whipped cream (homemade is best but I used canned for easier transport - almost 2 cans) 
• Hershey's syrup or other chocolate syrup, for drizzling 

Heat the oven to 325. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with no-stick spray. Mix eggs, oil, water, coffee, peppermint extract and brownie mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, checking after 40 minutes. 

Let brownies cool for 30 minutes and spread softened hot fudge topping over the brownies. Let cool completely. 

To serve, cover brownies with whipped cream, sprinkle with crushed candies and then drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the whipped cream, just like a latte!