Chocolate Peppermintini Food

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MARTINI

Steps:

• Crush the candy cane with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin and place in a small bowl that is wide enough for the rim of your martini glasses to dip into. Melt your chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl, heating for 30 seconds, then stirring, then reheating as needed in 30 second increments. Delicately swirl your martini glass edge through the melted chocolate. Immediately run the martini glass rim through the crushed peppermint to allow it to stick to the rim of the glass. Set aside for the chocolate to dry as you prepare your cocktails.
• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add your chocolate liquor, cream, peppermint vodka, cocoa powder and chocolate syrup. Shake well and then taste to adjust the flavoring, as needed.
• Pour the cocktail into your decorated martini glass.
• If you'd like a little swirl on top, carefully pour some cream in a swirl shape overtop of the martini and then drag a toothpick or skewer through the design to make it even more decorative.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINTINI

Steps:

• Place ice in cocktail shaker; add half-and-half, vodka, schnapps and crème de cacao. Shake until blended. Pour into glasses, straining out ice. Garnish with candy canes.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PIZZELLE

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt together in a large bowl.
• In another medium bowl, briskly whisk the eggs, sugar and melted butter together until smooth and evenly combined.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Gradually whisk the liquid into the flour to make a thick batter. When the pizzelle batter starts to clump up in the whisk, switch to a rubber spatula to finish mixing it together. (If you have a large pastry bag, put a big round tip in it, and fill with the pizzelle batter.)
• Preheat a pizzelle iron until a drop of water sizzles on the hot surface, about 10 minutes. Lightly spray the hot surface with nonstick cooking spray. Pipe or spoon about a tablespoon of the batter into the center of each cookie imprint. Close the iron and cook until whiffs of steam comes from the iron, about 30 to 45 seconds. Open and remove cookie from the iron, cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave on medium power until soft and melted, about 3 minutes depending on the power of your oven; stir until smooth. Alternatively, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan (without touching the water). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Stir in mint extract.
• To serve pipe a tablespoon of the mint filling into the center of half the cookies. Top with another cookie and press to sandwich them together. Serve now or keep tightly covered for up to 1 week.

PEPPERMINTINI

Steps:

• Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass with water, and dip into the crushed candy cane. Pour the vodka, schnapps, and half-and-half into a cocktail shaker over ice. Cover, and shake until the outside of the shaker has frosted. Strain into the rimmed martini glass, and garnish with candy cane to serve.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARS

Steps:

• For Layer#1:.
• Melt chocolate and butter, stirring frequently.
• Cream eggs and sugar; add flour and chocolate mixture.
• Mix well and spread in 8x8 pan.
• Bake at 350F for 20 min; turn oven off and bake 5 min more.
• Let cool.
• For Layer#2:.
• Cream sugar and butter together.
• Blend in cream and extract.
• Spread on cooled crust layer and refrigerate until chilled.
• For Layer#3:.
• Melt chocolate and butter together; pour over peppermint layer.
• Chill& cut into small squares (this is rich!).

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MARTINI

Steps:

• Mix cold liquor together and shake with ice.
• Strain into a martini glass.
• Drop 2 Junior Mints into bottom of glass.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a mixer beat together the butter with the sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the vanilla. On a low speed beat in the flour mixture a little at a time. Gently mix in chocolate chips.
• On an ungreased cookie sheet, drop teaspoons of the batter about 2 inches apart. Bake until just cracked on top, about 8 to10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Cool completely.
• For the glaze: In a small bowl mix together the sugar; mint extract and water until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium resealable plastic bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let cookies stand until set, about 10 minutes.

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a pan with the milk. Gently heat, stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Continue heating until the milk is steaming, then remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
• Divide the hot chocolate between 6 mugs, add sugar to taste and hang a candy cane on the edge of each. Pass the mugs round and let everyone stir their hot chocolate with their candy cane - letting as much of the sweet peppermint dissolve as they fancy.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PINWHEEL COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. The dough will be very stiff and crumbly at this point alost like a shortbread. Don't worry, you are adding liquid in the next steps.
• Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to 1 half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract, and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. (If you like you can add a drop or two of red food coloring to make the dough a pppermint pink.) Cover both with plastic and chill for approximately 5-10 minutes.
• Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours or more. (I let my logs cool for 6 hours and they were very easy to slice.).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place cookies 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

REAL PEPPERMINT PATTY HOT CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Chop the peppermint patties into small pieces and combine all ingredients in a pan.
• Heat over medium heat until all ingredients are incorporated and milk is hot.
• Can be served with whipped cream and some grated chocolate.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK - CHRISTMAS

Steps:

• Line a 9x12 pan with parchment paper.
• Melt the dark chocolate (use the method you prefer, either double boiler, or microwave - cook 30 seconds in a heat-proof bowl, stir and repeat until you have a smooth consistency.
• Pour the melted dark chocolate on the parchment paper, spread the chocolate out until it is about 1/3" thick. You can do this by hitting the pan on the countertop repeatedly, or maybe you could use a spatula to spread the chocolate.
• Melt the white chocolate, using the steps above. After the chocolate is smooth, pour it on top of the dark chocolate - trying to make the layers the same thickness. (it's best to do this step while the white chocolate is still very soft -- I've had them separate when I broke them into pieces, I think the layers "stick" together better if the white chocolate has not hardened).
• Unwrap the starlite mints, or peppermints of your choice and put them into a heavy duty ziplock bag. Using a hammer or meat tenderizer - crush the mints then, while the white chocolate is still melted sprinkle on top.
• Let the chocolates harden in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then break the candy into pieces. This needs to be stored in the refrgerator if you live in a warm/humid climate.

HOT CHOCOLATE WITH PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan over low heat.
• Add chocolate, stirring constantly, until melted.
• When the chocolate has melted, increase heat to medium and add the remainder of the milk while whisking rapidly. Do not allow to boil.
• Serve in small cups fortified with a jigger (1 1/2 ounces) of peppermint schnapps and a dollop of whipped cream.
• Add a peppermint stick to stir.
• If transporting in a thermos, heat thermos up with hot water to get it warm for 1 minute. Pour water out and fill with hot chocolate.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line a 9x13" baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Break up the white chocolate into small pieces and melt in either a double boiler set over simmering water, or in the microwave according to the package directions.
• Do not let the chocolate burn!
• Remove from heat and stir in the 1/3 cup of crushed candy canes.
• Immediately pour this mixture into the prepared pan and spread spoon with a rubber spatula, leaving a 1/2" border around the edge of the pan.
• Don't worry if it doesn't look perfectly shaped, but try to get it as evenly flattened as possible.
• Melt semisweet chocolate pieces.
• Drizzle the melted semisweet chocolate all over the surface of the white chocolate.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of crushed candy canes.
• Set in the fridge until it firms up- this only takes a short time (about 15 minutes or so).
• Cut or break the bark into serving pieces.
• Jagged edges are ok.
• These will look nice wrapped in plastic tin and tied with pink& white curling ribbon to give as holiday treats.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Melt semi-sweet/dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
• Line a 9"x13" dish with aluminum foil.
• Pour into dish and spread evenly. Chill.
• Melt white chocolate.
• Cruch candy canes in a plastic bag.
• Pour white chocolate on top of semi-sweet/dark chocolate and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces over white chocolate.
• Refrigerate until set.
• When chocolate is hardened, break into pieces.