Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Food

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over the sides.
• Make the shortbread: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter and process until a smooth dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake until firm to the touch, and sides of the crust are beginning to pull away from the pan, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make the filling: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and peppermint extract. Beat until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Press filling evenly over shortbread. Chill to set the filling for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Use parchment paper overhang to lift the shortbread and peppermint out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares (there should be 36 squares). Place squares on a rack placed over a parchment-lined sheet tray, and let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 7 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 ounces chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Add coconut oil, if using, and stir the chocolate until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate on top of a cut peppermint square, using the back of the spoon to spread chocolate to the edges. Be sure to fully cover the top of the square with chocolate. (Leave the sides exposed, though it's O.K. if some of the chocolate drips down.) Repeat with remaining squares.
• Let squares sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Grease an 8-by-8-inch brownie pan with butter and line the bottom and two sides with parchment. Set a rack in the lower-middle position of the oven and heat to 350 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter, brown sugar and salt until creamy, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Add the yolk and vanilla, and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cocoa, and mix until everything comes together, about 1 minute, stopping once during mixing to scrape down the paddle and the bowl.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Using an offset spatula and your hands, press the dough into the pan as evenly as possible. Use a fork to prick the dough all over. Bake until the shortbread smells chocolatey and feels set and dry, 30 to 35 minutes. Wash and dry the mixing bowl and set aside.
• Remove shortbread from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees. Using the parchment, lift the cookies out of the pan onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Make the meringue: Pour water into a medium saucepan to come 1 1/2 inches up the sides and bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat.
• Whisk the egg whites, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer just to combine. Set the bowl over the simmering water (bowl should not touch water) and heat the egg mixture, stirring and scraping constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the sugar dissolves, the mixture is hot and steamy, and the temperature registers 175 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 4 to 6 minutes. (Be patient and cook the egg whites slowly so they don't curdle.)
• Return the bowl to the stand mixer, and whip the mixture until stiff and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Whip in the peppermint extract and scrape the meringue onto the shortbread.
• Evenly spread the meringue with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. If using liquid food coloring, add a few random drops onto the meringue. If using gel food coloring, use the tip of a toothpick to randomly dab the tiniest bit of food coloring onto the meringue. Using the tip of an offset spatula or spoon, swirl the color into the meringue, creating peaks and streaks.
• Bake on the wire rack set on the sheet pan until the meringue feels dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Turn off the oven and prop open the door with a wooden spoon. Allow the cookies to cool in the oven, about another hour. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cookies into random pieces. The cookies will keep for 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray 2 (9-inch) glass pie plates with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, chocolate and peppermint extract with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in flour and 1/3 cup cocoa. Divide dough in half. With lightly floured hands, press dough evenly in pie plates.
• Bake 22 to 24 minutes or until edges just begin to pull away from sides of pie plates. Cool in pie plates 5 minutes. Carefully cut each round into 16 wedges. Cool completely in pie plates on cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa and enough of the milk until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over wedges; sprinkle with candies.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix butter, sugar, crushed candy and vanilla -- gradually blending in flour and corn starch.
• Form 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Gently press down on each cookie to flatten.
• Bake in 300°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bottoms start to brown.
• Cool and remove to a wire rack.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until frosting is smooth. Drizzle on cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy.

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gradually add flour and mix on low until combined. Add Andes baking chips and continue mixing on low until fully combined.
• On wax paper or parchment paper, form into a 12- to 14-inch log and freeze at least 30 minutes or until firm.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the shortbread dough into 1/4-inch slices and bake for 13-15 minutes on parchment lined baking sheets.
• Note: If you freeze the dough for longer than 30 minutes, you may have to let it set out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so to achieve uniform slices.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Add the extract and salt: On low speed, add the peppermint extract and salt and mix just until combined.
• Place the racks and preheat the oven: Just before the cookies finish chilling, arrange two racks in the middle and bottom third of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies: Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set, turning and rotating the pans between racks halfway through. The cookies will turn from glossy and wet to matte. They will feel slightly soft out of the oven but should barely make an indent when gently tapped them with your fingers. If they look shiny or feel too soft, continue baking until firmed up, about 2 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate chips: In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds on full power, then stir. Repeat, heating and stirring in 15-second intervals until the chocolate melts into a smooth, homogenous texture.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and 1 cup mini chocolate chips in a large bowl.
• Beat at medium speed till creamy.
• Reduce speed to low.
• Add flour, beat till mixture forms a dough.
• Stir in one cup mini chocolate chips by hand.
• Shape dough into 1" balls.
• Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Flatten each ball to 1 1/2" circles with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour.
• Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or till set.
• DO NOT OVERBAKE!
• Let stand 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Combine all frosting ingredients in a small bowl.
• Beat at low speed till smooth.
• Add milk, 1 tsp at a time, for desired frsting consistency.
• Frost cooled cookies& place on waxed paper.
• Place 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and shortening into a small, microwave-safe bowl.
• Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, till smooth (60-90 seconds).
• Drizzle thin lines of chocolate over frosting.
• Let stand till chocolate is set (at least 30 minutes).