Chocolate Mint Treasures

Fun dessert or snack bar I adapted from a recipe found in the April/May 2011 issue of Taste of Home. Originally submitted by Sherry Johnston. The magazine suggests cutting the bars with a serrated knife that has been run under hot water and dried, using a straight down motion as opposed to sawing motion, and wiping the knife clean in between cuts.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 48
• Yields: 4 dozen bars

Ingredients

•  cooking spray
• 1  cup  softened butter, divided (2 sticks)
• 1  cup sugar, divided
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla, divided
• 2 1⁄4 cups flour, divided
• 1⁄4 cup  baking cocoa
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1  cup  chopped  Andes mints candies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add one egg and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well.
5. Gradually add 1 cup flour, cocoa, and 1/8 teaspoons salt, mixing well after each addition.
6. Spread mixture into 9x13 dish.
7. In a mixing bowl cream remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
8. Add remaining egg and remaining 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well.
9. Gradually add remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and remaining 1/8 teaspoons salt, mixing well after each addition.
10. Gently spread over chocolate layer and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped Andes mints over the top.
12. Bake until chocolate begins to melt, about 1 additional minute.
13. Spread melted chocolate over the top of the bars.
14. Cool completely.
15. Cut into 24 squares, and then cut squares into triangles.