BROWNIES WITH CHOC. COVERED MINTS

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks butter
Beat:
3-3/4 cups sugar
5 eggs
l tbsps. plus l tsp. instant esperesso powder
2 -l/2 tsp. vanilla
l/4 tsp. salt
Add chocolate mixture
Add:
l-2/3 cups sifted flour
Stir in: 8 oz. walnuts broken in large pieces (2 generous cups)
Layer with:
40 York choc covered peppermint patties (about 20 ozs.)
Heat oven 425. with rack l/3 up from the bottom. Prepare 9xl3 pan as follows:
Use a 9xl3 jelly roll pan. Invert pan and center heavy duty foil over pan bottom. Press down sides and corners, shaping to the pan. Remove foil, turn pan right side up and place foil inside. Carefully press into place. Add l tbsps. butter to pan and place pan in preheating oven. When butter is melted spread it over the foil with pastry brush.
Melt the choc and butter in double boiler over hot water on mod heat or in a 4 to 6 cup heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir occaisonally until choc and butrer are melted. Remove from heat; set aside. Beat the sugar, eggs, espresso, vanilla and salt in large bowl of elec. mixer set at high speed for l0 mins. Add the choc mixture (which may be still warm) with mxier on low speed. Beat just until blended. Add flour and beat again on low speed only till mixed. Stir in the nuts. Spoon half the batter (about 3-l/2 cups) into prepared pan; smooth top. Layer the peppermints over the chocolate layer. They should touch each other and come as close to the edges of the pan as possible (do not cut mints in half to fill in spaces – the filling will ozze and burn. Spoon remaining hcoc mixture over mints. carefully smooth top. Bake for 35 mins (and no longer) rotating the pan once during baking. Remove from oven and let stand in pan until cool. Invert pan and remove foil lining. Invert again so brownies are right side up. Refrigerate a few hrs. or overnight before cutting. Use a long inife with a sharp blade to cut brownies into quarters. Trimming the edges is optional. Cut each quarter in half, then cut each eight h into four bars. This narrow shape shows off the mints.
Makes 32 brownies Cuisine at Home magazine