Averie Cooks

-1 Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with PAM Cooking Spray; set aside.
-1 In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
-1 Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, coffee (does not make the bars taste like coffee and enhances the chocolate flavor), vanilla, peppermint extract (be very careful not to over-add or your bars will taste like mouthwash), and whisk until smooth.
-1 Whisk in the cocoa powder. It could take several minutes of vigorous whisking if your cocoa powder is lumpy.
-1 Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
-1 Using a sharp knife, quarter 20 Oreos on a cutting board and stir them into the batter.
-1 Turn batter out into prepared pan, trying your best to evenly disperse the Oreos within the batter. Smooth the top lightly with a spatula.
-1 Using a sharp knife, quarter remaining 5 Oreos and place them onto the top of the batter, dispersed evenly. Push them down with your fingertip just far enough into the batter so it touches them, but do not submerge; you want to see them for a visual pop.
-1 Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At 28 minutes (shown in photos), the bars are very soft and fudgy; if you like firmer and dryer bars, bake for a few minutes longer.
-1 Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.