Gluten Free Candy-Cane Brownies

   
   We went to the Tweed Christmas Parade, and the kids loved it! Honestly, they don't care if it is long or short, how amazing all the floats are, how dang cold it is-they just love Christmas! And man, did they ever get a lot of treats! Yikes! It's not all bad though, I borrowed all their mini candy canes they got, and put them to delicious use!
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The kids loving the parade! Caleb is looking at a train with anticipation, and ignoring the guy who looks like Santa handing out candy right behind him!!!

     
    These brownies are so fudgy, pepperminty, and de-lish! Your kids will not mind that you took all their candy canes!
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Gluten-Free Candy Cane Brownies

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup cocoa, sifted
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour)
• 24 crushed mini candy canes! (more or less!)-I crushed mine in our coffee grinder! You could also un-wrap them, place them on a cutting board, put a clean towel on top, and use a rolling pin, can of soup, or anything heavy to crush them!
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, but why not?!?)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 315 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease 9x13 pan with cooking spray or butter. Line with parchment with overhang for handles. 
3. In the large bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, and using a hand mixer), cream sugars and butter until fluffy.
4. Add vanilla, peppermint extract, and eggs, and mix thoroughly.
5. Gently mix in flour and cocoa, don't over mix, but make sure it is thoroughly blended.
6. Pour in 1/2 crushed candy canes, and chocolate chips. Mix 'er up!
7. Pour into baking pan
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until you smell them baking, and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean
9. Sprinkle with other half crushed candy canes while it's still warm

**Let these cool before you cut into them!**

   
    These fantastic brownies freeze well too. Just wait until they are completely cooled, then cut, and put into an airtight container (if you have to stack them on top of each other, separate with parchment paper). I cut mine into petit fours, and put into mini muffin cups before putting them into a container into the freezer. 
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Enjoy! 
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