Pink Grasshopper Bars

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon Sweet’N Low®
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup applesauce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 large eggs

For the Pink Mint Filling:

• One 1.5oz package sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
• ¾ cup reduced fat butter (such as Kerrygold), softened
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons Sweet’N Low®
• 2 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half
• ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 drops red food coloring

For the Chocolate Ganache:

• 6oz unsweetened baking chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 ¼ cups fat-free half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons reduced fat butter
• 1 tablespoon Sweet’N Low®

Preparation

For the Brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 ̊F. Grease an 8” square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, sweetener, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine applesauce, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Stir dry ingredients into wet, just until combined.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 20 minutes or just until set. Cool completely.

For the Pink Mint Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together pudding, butter, sugar, and sweetener until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in half-and-half, peppermint, and food coloring until well combined.

2. Spread pink peppermint filling over cooled brownies and place in the refrigerator.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

1. To make ganache, in a heat safe bowl, place chocolate. In a small pot over medium heat, bring half-and-half, butter, and sweetener to a boil. Turn off heat and pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Pour mixture over brownies and spread evenly. Return to the refrigerator until fully set, about 4 hours.

2. Once ready to serve, run a knife under hot water. Dry off, make a cut, then wipe clean before cutting each new bar.