Hershey's chocolate mint dessert (aka cool mint dessert)

How many of you remember you (or your mom or other family member) saving and cutting out UPCs and sending them in to get a free cookbook? Well, my mom did this back in the 80s, and she exchanged her UPCs for the Simply Recipes cookbook from Hershey's. I am happy to say that I inherited this publication when I moved out on my own. There is one particular recipe from the collection that has always been a hit every time I've made it. I should have it memorized since it's a dessert that friends request all the time.

Funny story - I was reminded not too long ago that we live in a very small world when a work colleague of mine recognized my dessert when I brought it in for a potluck. He asked if this was the chocolate mint dessert from the Hershey's cookbook, and I said yes. As luck would have it, he was the brand manager in charge of putting this book together! Wow!

This "cool mint dessert" (as dubbed by my husband) is one of his all time favorite sweets that I make. We love the brownie-like cake layer, the mint-flavored creamy middle and the hardened chocolate ganache. It is rich, minty and oh-so-refreshing.

I looked in my recipe book, and the copyright date is 1988. I can't believe it's almost been 30 years since we've had this recipe book!  I hope to be making recipes from it for at least another 30 years, if not more.

Also, I am happy to say that I've received the Versatile Blogger Award from Just Baked.  I'm going to have to go check out her blog because we have lots of similar interests, and our blogs are mostly focused on baking!  Thanks for this award, Kim!

All recipients of this award need to:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
4. Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
5. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
6. In the same post, include this set of rules.
7. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.

Here are the 15 blogs I have chosen to receive this award (please click on the links to check them out!):

• a little bit of life 
• Beantown Baker 
• Beware of Kids
  
• BTLA
• Chocolate Covered Katie 
• Cook Like A Champion 
• Everyday Adventures 
• From James to Thames
• House of Annie
• Iowa Girl Eats
• Kirbie's Cravings
• Simple Gourmet Cooking
• Sing For Your Supper
• The Novice Chef
• The Way the Cookie Crumbles

And here are the 7 facts about me!

1. I know 4 different languages but only speak two fluently.
2. I spin and jump "the other way" (clockwise) in figure skating. I constantly get asked if I am a lefty, but I am not.
3. When I was a junior in high school, my school caught on fire and burned down over Martin Luther King weekend. School was cancelled the rest of the week and we went to our rival high school for most of the remainder of the school year. School started at noon and went until 5pm. All classes were only 45 minutes long. And they never found the arsonist(s).
4. I have a music performance (flute) minor.
5. I hold a 1st degree brown belt in karate.
6. I have hugged a koala in Australia.
7. I have been best friends with the same girl since we were 6. And our moms have been best friends since they were both in junior high.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups HERSHEY'S Syrup (1 can)
• MINT CREAM CENTER (recipe follows)
• CHOCOLATE GLAZE (recipe follows)

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. 

Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 

Combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs and syrup in large bowl; beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

Spread MINT CREAM CENTER on cake. Cover; refrigerate. Pour CHOCOLATE GLAZE over chilled dessert. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert. About 12 servings. 

MINT CREAM CENTER: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons green creme de menthe (OR 1 tablespoon water plus 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon mint extract and 3 drops green food color may be substituted for creme de menthe) in medium bowl; beat until smooth. 

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Melt 6 tablespoons butter or margarine and 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in small saucepan over very low heat. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

Source: Simply Recipes from Hershey, page 23; can also be found on the Hershey's website

How many of you remember you (or your mom or other family member) saving and cutting out UPCs and sending them in to get a free cookbook? Well, my mom did this back in the 80s, and she exchanged her UPCs for the Simply Recipes cookbook from Hershey's. I am happy to say that I inherited this publication when I moved out on my own. There is one particular recipe from the collection that has always been a hit every time I've made it. I should have it memorized since it's a dessert that friends request all the time.

Funny story - I was reminded not too long ago that we live in a very small world when a work colleague of mine recognized my dessert when I brought it in for a potluck. He asked if this was the chocolate mint dessert from the Hershey's cookbook, and I said yes. As luck would have it, he was the brand manager in charge of putting this book together! Wow!

This "cool mint dessert" (as dubbed by my husband) is one of his all time favorite sweets that I make. We love the brownie-like cake layer, the mint-flavored creamy middle and the hardened chocolate ganache. It is rich, minty and oh-so-refreshing.

I looked in my recipe book, and the copyright date is 1988. I can't believe it's almost been 30 years since we've had this recipe book!  I hope to be making recipes from it for at least another 30 years, if not more.

Also, I am happy to say that I've received the Versatile Blogger Award from Just Baked.  I'm going to have to go check out her blog because we have lots of similar interests, and our blogs are mostly focused on baking!  Thanks for this award, Kim!

All recipients of this award need to:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
4. Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
5. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
6. In the same post, include this set of rules.
7. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs.

Here are the 15 blogs I have chosen to receive this award (please click on the links to check them out!):

• a little bit of life 
• Beantown Baker 
• Beware of Kids
  
• BTLA
• Chocolate Covered Katie 
• Cook Like A Champion 
• Everyday Adventures 
• From James to Thames
• House of Annie
• Iowa Girl Eats
• Kirbie's Cravings
• Simple Gourmet Cooking
• Sing For Your Supper
• The Novice Chef
• The Way the Cookie Crumbles

And here are the 7 facts about me!

1. I know 4 different languages but only speak two fluently.
2. I spin and jump "the other way" (clockwise) in figure skating. I constantly get asked if I am a lefty, but I am not.
3. When I was a junior in high school, my school caught on fire and burned down over Martin Luther King weekend. School was cancelled the rest of the week and we went to our rival high school for most of the remainder of the school year. School started at noon and went until 5pm. All classes were only 45 minutes long. And they never found the arsonist(s).
4. I have a music performance (flute) minor.
5. I hold a 1st degree brown belt in karate.
6. I have hugged a koala in Australia.
7. I have been best friends with the same girl since we were 6. And our moms have been best friends since they were both in junior high.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  4 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups HERSHEY'S Syrup (1 can)
• MINT CREAM CENTER (recipe follows)
• CHOCOLATE GLAZE (recipe follows)

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. 

Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 

Combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs and syrup in large bowl; beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. 

Spread MINT CREAM CENTER on cake. Cover; refrigerate. Pour CHOCOLATE GLAZE over chilled dessert. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert. About 12 servings. 

MINT CREAM CENTER: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons green creme de menthe (OR 1 tablespoon water plus 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon mint extract and 3 drops green food color may be substituted for creme de menthe) in medium bowl; beat until smooth. 

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Melt 6 tablespoons butter or margarine and 1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips in small saucepan over very low heat. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.

Source: Simply Recipes from Hershey, page 23; can also be found on the Hershey's website