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!