Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, cubed (room temperature)
  • 8 ounces (225g) Good Quality Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao), chopped
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) Granulated Sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • 4 Large Eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
  • ½ cup (50g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Dutch-process)
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ¼ cup (56g) Unsalted Butter, softened (for swirl)
  • ¼ cup (50g) Granulated Sugar (for swirl)
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk (for swirl)
  • ½ cup (60g) All-Purpose Flour (for swirl)
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for swirl)
  • 2 cups (240g) Powdered Sugar, sifted (for glaze)
  • 3-4 tablespoons Whole Milk or heavy cream (for glaze)
  • ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract (for glaze)
  • Pinch Red/Green Food Colouring (Optional)
  • ½ cup (60g) Crushed Candy Canes (for topping)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8x8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to use as handles later.
  2. Gently melt the 1 cup of butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler until completely smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in both types of sugar until well combined.
  3. Whisk in the 4 large eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt over the chocolate mixture. Gently fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix to maintain fudginess.
  5. Prepare the vanilla swirl batter: In a separate bowl, cream the ¼ cup softened butter and ¼ cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, then gently fold in the ½ cup flour and 1 tsp vanilla until just combined.
  6. Pour two-thirds of the dark chocolate batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the vanilla batter evenly over the dark layer. Spread the remaining dark chocolate batter on top.
  7. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the two batters together 3–4 times to create a distinct marble effect. Do not over-swirl.
  8. Bake for 30–35 minutes. The edges should appear set, and a toothpick inserted near the center should come out with moist, fudgy crumbs attached.
  9. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, then chill in the refrigerator for another hour. This cooling step is crucial for clean slicing.
  10. To make the glaze, whisk the sifted powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and milk/cream together until smooth and thick, adding food colouring if desired. Adjust consistency with more milk or sugar as needed.
  11. Pour the glaze evenly over the completely chilled brownies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes before the glaze sets. Allow the glaze to firm up (about 30 minutes) before slicing cleanly.