Mint Chocolate Brownie Muffins

These Brownie Muffins are perfect when they're fresh out of the oven combined with a vanilla bean ice cream. You can chop them up and mix into the ice cream for a fun treat. I'm no expert or anything, but based on my experience, they pair really well together! When I was younger, Andes Mints were a favorite. I just loved the mint and chocolate combination and these muffins definitely took me back to those days. Not a big mint lover? No problem. You can tone it down a notch with just a drop of peppermint (it goes a long way) or you can kick it up if you're a big mint fan, like my husband. I found two to three drops was a good fit for us. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz good quality dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp grassfed unsalted butter (like KerryGold)
• 3 tbsp Nikki's Dark Chocolate Fudge coconut butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup maple sugar
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso (optional)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1-2 drops peppermint extract 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt together the dark chocolate, butter, Nikki's Dark Chocolate and peppermint extract. Whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add the eggs and maple sugar whisk until incorporated. 
2. In a separate bowl, sift together the tapioca flour, salt, instant espresso (if using), and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold until just combined. 
3. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter into a silicone muffin pan, or paper lined muffin tin.
4. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes. Be patient! 
5. Serve with ice cream or save for later. 

Recipe and pictures by Denise of @denimelon on IG.