Peppermint Bark

This next recipe is courtesy of my aunt.

I love peppermint bark!  I warn you however!!  You need melting chocolate for the white chocolate!!  White chocolate chips burn!!!!!!:(  

Melt 6oz of chocolate.  Pour onto tray lined with parchment paper.  Freeze until hardened. Crush some peppermints (10-12).  Melt 10oz of white chocolate.  Pour over frozen chocolate and press on peppermints.  Be sure to press, some of mine fell off.

Delicious!

Enjoy!

:)

Mint-Glazed Butter Thins

This is the next recipe.  It has no chocolate because my dad can't eat chocolate.   This is courtesy of epicurious, as are the brownies.  I overcooked mine.  They were golden around the edges, I think they might have been too thin. Sorry about the white box above!


Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 11/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Position racks in top and bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat first 4 ingredients, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and salt in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in flour.

Place 1 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Working with 1 level tablespoon at a time, shape dough into balls; roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place on sheet. Press each lightly with flat-bottomed cup. Sprinkle each with more powdered sugar, then press again to thin 3 1/4-inch round. Bake cookies 8 minutes. Reverse sheets; bake until golden at edges, about 9 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, stir 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, and 2 tablespoons cream in small bowl until smooth, adding more cream by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread.

Transfer cookies to rack; spread glaze over warm cookies. Cool on rack.

Peppermint Brownies

These delectable, multi-layered treats will have your mouth watering in minutes, if you like chocolate and peppermints that is.  Well, actually, even if you don't like chocolate, your mouth might water.  The recipe had you make brownies from scratch, but, it was getting late, time to pull out the boxed mix, and add the specified amount of peppermint extract.

Here's the recipe:

I added 1/2 tsp peppermint extract to the brownie mix.  Then, while they were baking, I:

Beat 2c powdered sugar, 4tbl butter, 2tbl milk, and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract until creamy.    Spread over warm brownies and chill until set, about 1 hour.

Then:

Melt 4oz semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips with 2tbl butter in microwave.  Pour over mint topping and chill until set, about 1 hr.

Peppermint Frenzy!

I have, because of the food of the month, gone into peppermint madness.  It's official.  This weekend I have made numerous peppermint laden desserts including peppermint bark, mint glazed cookie crisps, and mint brownies.  I think I am going to become fat this winter, too many good things to eat.  My cookies were a little overdone, but, other than that, great food.  I think I'll need to buy more peppermint extract soon.

Much Better Hot Chocolate

I think I finally hit the hot chocolate jackpot.  Not pumpkin, peppermint, just made up a recipe.  Just make normal hot chocolate and add 1 drop of peppermint extract.  Delicious, but don't put in too much peppermint extract, 1 drop does it!

Hot Chocolate

The other day after school I decided to try a recipe from my latest American Girl magazine.  It was hot chocolate with canned pumpkin and brown sugar.  It was DISGUSTING!!!  I tried adding more chocolate milk powder, no better.  Don't try it!  I'm not even going to bother putting on the recipe. 

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Just made toasted pumpkin seeds.  It was easier than I expected actually, just throw some olive oil into a cast iron skillet, throw in the seeds, toast them, and add salt!


For every one cup of pumpkin seeds, use one tsp of olive oil, then, add the seeds.  Toast for about 5 min on medium heat, stirring constantly until the the seeds puff up.  Remove from heat, add sea salt to taste and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Just made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins to go with my food of the month.  My family loves them and they are great for breakfast.  They have the best flavor if you make them a day or two ahead, but in my house they are usually gone by then unless we make a double batch.




Here's the recipe:


1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking  soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
1 stick melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin cups or use paper or foil liners(or silicone baking pans).  In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl break the eggs.  Add pumpkin and melted butter, mix until well blended.  Incorporate chocolate chips.  Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula.  Scoop batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until they spring back at touch.  wrap in a plastic bag for 1-2 days. 
  


From "Muffins" by Elizabeth Alston

Fresh Green Leaves

I love fresh, garden-grown food.  So I loved picking fresh basil for pesto yesterday.  Mom is taking this pesto to work but I love helping to make it.  Picking fresh basil makes great pesto.  I look for leaves with no holes, and no discolorations or spots.  The bigger the leaf the better; let the smaller ones grow a little longer.  The only time I pick small leaves is when I pick of a larger hunk of leaves all together because they are all good leaves.  

-Muncher 

Creme Brulee

Last night I made pumpkin creme brulee.  It was pretty good, but my favorite part is the torching.  We put them under the broiler first then used the torch.  It started to run out of gas, but it was fine.  Of course the key to creme brulee is the sugar on top.  This summer I got to use the torch on peaches.  They were good and sweet!  I love the torch!!!!  I think the creme brulee is better cold, I had another today!


-Muncher

Tech days

My Mom has tech days at work because she is a technology teacher.  Today we made tomato soup for her "soups, salads, and sandwiches lunch".  It's my favorite tomato soup!  A little spicy, but with the sweet tomatoes!  Love it!  I think it's at it's best with a nice grilled cheese strait from the panini press.  It's good reheated too, unfortunately, Mom is taking this batch to work.  Ugggghhhh!

Brand New Blog

I just started this blog.  I've never had a blog before but I guess you have to start some time.  I'll write about the food I make.  Everything from popsicles to pasta.  What's good, whats bad, and what (if anything) went totally wrong!  I'll share some recipes and tips if I have any. Hope you enjoy!

-Muncher