Mint Chocolate Cookie Crunch Brownies

 Ok, lemme just say this right from the start, I'm am not the biggest fan of MINT. There. I said it. I mean, yeah, it's ok, but just not as the MAIN flavor of something. Otherwise, all I can think of is Altoids or toothpaste. The one mint thing I DO happen to love, however, is Girl Scouts' Thin Mint Cookies. I guess it's because the mint isn't so overpowering, and they are the perfect blend of chocolate and mint flavor. So I thought, well, lets put them into a brownie! Not an original thought, I know, but still a good one, and worth further research. Yes, yes, I know I could just buy a brownie mix, throw in some chopped cookies, and call it a day, but I usually don't like to use a boxed mix. That would take all the fun out of it!
  So I started looking for Thin Mint Brownie recipes. I found a TON of them, but many of them go VERY far with the whole mint thing. Adding mint extract to chocolate ganache, adding Andes Candies to buttercream, and on and on. Altoids, again. Sorry. Is it so much to ask for just the right brownie recipe with a thin mint crunch? I actually started to think, well, maybe what I really do want is a boxed mix and some chopped cookies.
 But then I found this fabulous recipe from a website called The Daily Meal, and it's exactly what I wanted. A scratch brownie with the thin mint crunch. Simple, easy, not complicated, and no Altoids. Could I still just do a boxed brownie mix and stir in some cookies? Of course, but I'll always go from scratch if I can help it!!

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

3/4 c butter  

2 c sugar  

4 eggs 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract  

1 c flour  

1/4 tsp salt 

2 c Thin Mint cookies, chopped

 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
Brush a 13- by 9-inch pan with butter. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a double boiler. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time being careful to incorporate each egg. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt at once. Stir to combine. Fold in half of the chopped cookies. Spread the brownie batter evenly in the pan, and top with the remaining chopped cookies. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before slicing and serving.

Tip:

 Instead of unsweetened chocolate, I used dark chocolate chips. Use what you have!

If Girl Scout Cookies aren't available, add any other kind of cookie you like! If you're still feeling the mint thing, use Mint Oreos!
 Btw, I didn't even measure 2 cups of cookies. I just used an entire box!