Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Roll Food

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM ROLL

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. , In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, baking powder and salt until slightly thickened. Stir in extracts. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Sift flour and cocoa together twice; gradually add to yolk mixture and mix well (batter will be thick). , With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into batter. Spread into prepared pan. , Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack., Unroll cake; spread ice cream evenly over the cake to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up again. Cover and freeze until firm., For frosting, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and cocoa; beat in the milk, butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cake roll. Cut into slices. Freeze leftovers., ,

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Melt butter with chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add warm chocolate mixture; blend just until crumbs are moistened. Reserve 1 cup crumb mixture in small bowl. Press remaining crumb mixture onto sides, then bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze.
• For glaze:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand until cool but still pourable, about 1 hour.
• For filling:
• Working quickly, mix ice cream, 1 1/4 cups crushed candies, and extract in large bowl just until blended. Spoon half of ice cream into crust; spread evenly (place remaining ice cream mixture in bowl in freezer). Sprinkle reserved 1 cup cookie crumbs over ice cream in pan; press gently. Pour 1 cup chocolate glaze over ice cream in pan. Freeze 1 hour. Top with remaining ice cream; spread evenly. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. Stir remaining glaze over low heat just until pourable but not warm. Pour glaze over ice cream; spread evenly. Freeze overnight.
• Run sharp knife between crust and pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Garnish cake with peppermint candies and serve.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MINI ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 24 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with a piece of baking parchment and grease well. Whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric hand whisk for 2-3 mins or until thickened and very pale.
• Fold the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla extract into the egg mixture with a large metal spoon until there are no pockets of flour visible.
• Gently scrape the mixture into your prepared Swiss roll tin with a spatula then smooth it out so it fills the tin evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 mins or until puffed up and springy when you touch it.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 1-2 mins or until cool enough to handle. Run a rolling pin over it very gently to slightly flatten it, then carefully roll up the sponge along the longest edge while it's still warm (keeping the baking parchment attached). Take it halfway in, stopping when you get to the middle, then turn it around and start rolling from the other side to meet your first roll - just as you would making a scroll or palmier biscuits. Leave to cool completely in its rolled-up shape. Clean the electric beaters.
• While the sponge cools make the buttercream. Put the butter in a bowl with half the icing sugar, milk and peppermint extract. Beat well with a wooden spoon until smooth then stir in the rest of the icing sugar and switch to using the electric beaters and whisk up until pale. Taste a bit and add more peppermint extract if you like. Set aside somewhere cool until needed.
• Once the sponge is cold, slice it through the middle where the two rolls meet and uncurl them. Carefully spread or pipe the buttercream on top of each length of sponge in an even layer. Smooth it out with a palette knife or the back of a spoon then roll it up again as tightly as you can. Trim off the ends and cut each roll into 6 equal-sized sections. Chill them in the fridge on the tray while you prepare the topping.
• Melt the chocolate, either in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave (checking and stirring it every 30 secs until melted).
• Take the mini rolls out of the fridge then spoon the melted chocolate over them to cover them completely. Sit them on baking parchment until the chocolate has set firmly then serve. Keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 day.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT BùCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Place chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Do ahead can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm, uncovered, in microwave in 15-second intervals and whisk before using.
• For chocolate leaves:
• Stir chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Using pastry brush, brush chocolate on underside (veined side) of 1 leaf to coat completely (do not allow chocolate to drip over edge of leaf). Place leaf, chocolate side up, on small foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate coating is cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Working with 1 leaf at a time, carefully peel green leaf away from chocolate. Return chocolate leaf to same sheet; discard green leaf. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment. Coat paper with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa.
• Sift 1/2 cup sugar, cake flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until thick. Beat in oil, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake cake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Sift light layer of cocoa over large smooth kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Cut around pan sides. Turn cake out onto prepared towel, leaving 3-inch cloth border on 1 long side. Peel off parchment. Starting at long side with cloth border and using cloth as aid, roll up cake in towel (towel will be rolled up inside). Place cake, seam side down, on work surface; cool completely.
• Microwave ice cream in 10-second intervals until barely softened. Unroll cake on work surface but leave on cloth. Dollop ice cream over cake by spoonfuls. Gently spread ice cream into even layer, leaving 1-inch plain border on long side opposite cloth border. Sprinkle ice cream with crushed candy. Using cloth as aid and starting at cloth border, roll up cake, enclosing ice cream in cake. Place cake, seam side down, on long platter; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze cake at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Beat in vanilla.
• Cut off 1/8 of cake at angle at 1 end. Press cutoff part onto center of 1 side of log, cut side in. Spread meringue all over top, sides, and ends of cake. Using fork, make long grooves in meringue down length of cake and in circles on ends to resemble tree bark. Freeze cake until meringue is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Using torch, brown meringue in random spots. Return cake to freezer. DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• Garnish cake with chocolate leaves, fresh mint sprigs, and small candy canes. Cut cake crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices. Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT LOG

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°. Line bottom of a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with parchment. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt twice., In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in water and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture (batter will be very thick)., With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until soft glossy peaks form. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading evenly., Bake 12-15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa. Gently peel off paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack., For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and peppermint candies., Unroll cake; spread filling over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again, without towel. Place on a platter, seam side down. Refrigerate, covered, until cold., For glaze, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in cocoa and water until blended. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Cool slightly., Spread glaze over cake. Sprinkle with peppermint candies. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.