"My husband loves the combination of chocolate and mint, and I wanted to make him a special dessert that featured these two flavors. I’ve put frosting on brownies in the past to dress them up a bit, and I thought that topping brownies with a peppermint buttercream would be delicious. Deciding to cover the buttercream with a fudgy chocolate frosting took the dessert to another level and reminded me a lot of peppermint patties. My husband loved the brownies and has requested them many times since I first made them almost four years ago. I usually bake the brownies in a 9×9 pan, but for a more formal presentation, I use a 9-inch springform pan and cut the brownie into wedges. The decadent richness, peppermint flavor, and attractive appearance of the torte (with the contrasting layers of fudgy brownie, creamy white buttercream, and chocolate frosting) make it a wonderful dessert for the holidays; sprinkling finely crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate frosting adds another festive element...."