Midnight Mint Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 36
• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• green food coloring, optional
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons butter

Recipe

• 1 in a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, cocoa and sugar over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring often.
• 2 remove from the heat.
• 3 stir in a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan.
• 4 cook and stir until mixture coats a metal spoon and reaches 160.
• 5 remove from heat.
• 6 stir in cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts.
• 7 press into a buttered 9 inch square pan; set aside.
• 8 for filling, in a small mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioners sugar, milk and extract until smooth.
• 9 tint with food coloring if desired.
• 10 spread evenly over bottom layer; set aside.
• 11 for topping, in a heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat until blended and smooth, stirring often.
• 12 remove from heat.
• 13 cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• 14 spread over filling.
• 15 cover and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• 16 cut into bars.
• 17 store in the refrigerator.