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My friend Marge Long mentioned the other day that she’d made Verla Jamieson’s Mint Brownies for a Valentine’s event at Red Dresser in Traverse City, where Marge is one of the vendors.
So of course, I had to have that recipe for the Gazette! Verla, who passed away in 2017, has been a constant in our lives since we were kids. A few years ago when her daughter Jamie was cleaning out their house, she gave me a box of Verla’s note cards and mementos, which means the world to me because Verla was famous for her encouraging notes — showing up in the mail just when we needed them most.
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Read more about my memories of Verla here. Her husband, Cal Jamieson, passed away last year, so even though we miss them so much, it’s a joy knowing they’re back together again.
Here is Verla’s recipe, along with Marge’s notes.
Verla Jamieson’s Mint Brownies
Part 1:
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. margarine (I use butter)
- 4 eggs
- 1 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 16-oz. Hershey Syrup
Cream sugar and margarine/butter together. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a prepared 9 x 13 pan. (I use parchment paper in the pan so I can lift them out when completely done to cut into squares.) Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Part 2:
Cool brownies and top with:
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1/2 c. margarine or butter
- 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
- 1 tsp. green food coloring (or red if you’re making for Valentine’s Day)
Beat until fluffy, then frost the brownies. (I didn’t believe this was going to beat into anything fluffy without a little splash of milk, but it did.)
Part 3:
Melt 6 oz. of chocolate chips together with 6 Tbsp. butter. Pour and spread over green (or pink) frosting.
Refrigerate until ready to cut and serve. If you have any left after serving, they can be frozen (and are really good to eat straight from the freezer!).
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I bought some of these from Marge at the Methodist Church’s Christmas Bazaar a few years ago and have been dreaming about them ever since! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks, Mary! I’ve been eating those brownies for years at church events and have never made any myself. I’ve baked a lot of bread over the years, but maybe need to start checking out other vintage OMP recipes – especially this one. 🙂