Chocolaty Peppermint Buddies Crunch Food

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Place graham crackers, sugared-side down, in a single layer on baking sheet with edges touching; set aside.
• Place butter, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer until mixture reduces and is bubbly and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour over graham crackers, using an offset spatula to spread if necessary.
• Transfer to oven and bake until bubbling, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool 3 to 4 minutes, and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Let cool completely; refrigerate briefly if necessary to set chocolate. Break into pieces and serve.

PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until well blended. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving, until melted. Stir until smooth.
• Dip half of each cookie into melted chips mixture, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy. Let stand until set.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Stir 2 cups chocolate chips in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Measure 2/3 cup melted chocolate; transfer to small metal bowl and reserve for drizzling.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy.
• Add sugar and both extracts; beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat in melted chocolate from medium bowl.
• Add dry ingredients; beat just to blend. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Measure 1 level tablespoonful dough; roll dough between palms to form ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies until cracked all over and tester inserted into center comes out with large moist crumbs attached, 8 to 9 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to racks to cool completely.
• Rewarm reserved 2/3 cup chocolate over small saucepan of simmering water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over, arranging some pieces with red parts showing. Chill just until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP AND PEPPERMINT CRUNCH CRACKLES

Steps:

• Combine bittersweet chocolate, 1/2 cup butter and unsweetened chocolate in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolates melt and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Mix in finely crushed mints and 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Cool mixture to lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture, 1 at a time, then whisk in vanilla extract. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl to blend. Whisk flour mixture, then chocolate chips into chocolate mixture. Cover batter and chill until firm enough to shape, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
• Position rack in center of oven and presheat to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 generous tablespoonful of each cookie, roll dough between moistened palms into 1 1/4 inch diameter balls, then arrange on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until puffed and cracked on top but still soft to touch in cnter, about 11 minutes. Press coarsely crushed peppermints onto tops of cookies and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Transfer to racks and cool completely.
• Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container between sheets of wax paper in refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CRUNCH

Steps:

• position a rack in the middle of the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350*.Have ready two baking sheets.
• Prepare the cookie base:.
• in a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugar, water and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed during mixing.
• add the flour mixture, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.
• Stir in the chocolate chips.
• leaving a 3" border on all sides, use a thin metal spatula to spread half of the dough on one baking sheet into a rough rectangle that measures about 11 x8" and is about 1/4" thick.
• use the palms of your hands to help pat it into an even layer.
• Repeat with the remaining cookie dough on the second baking sheet.
• Bake one baking sheet at a time until the top looks dull -- not shiny -- and feels firm at the edges and center -- about 14 minutes.
• as soon as each baking sheet comes out of the oven, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips over the cookie slab. Let the chocolate chips over the cookie slab.
• let the chocolate chips sit for 5 minutes to soften and melt, then use a small metal spatula to spread the melted chocolate over the cookie.covering most of the cookie.
• while the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle half the peppermint candy evenly over the slab.
• let the cookie bark cool on the baking sheets on a wire rack until the chocolate topping is firm, about 2 hours.
• or, to speed the cooling, cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes.then refrigerate them, still on the baking sheets, just until the chocolate topping firms, then remove from the refrigerator. the cookie bark will become crisp as it cools.
• Break each cookie slab into about 12 5-6" long irregular pieces.
• the cookies can be stored layered between sheets of wax paper in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIE STARS

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the baking sheets.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, dissolved coffee and vanilla extract until blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together. At first the dough will form fine crumbs; then it will come together in large clumps.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 large pieces of wax paper and roll it out to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of wax paper. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out cookies. Slide a thin metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it, and place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the tops feel firm and look dull rather than shiny, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second piece of dough, and then press all of the dough scraps together to form a smooth ball. Repeat the rolling and cutting process.
• For the icing: Dip a fork in the melted white chocolate and drizzle it randomly and generously over the tops of the cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. The candy will stick to the warm chocolate.
• Let the cookies sit until the chocolate is firm. The cookies can be stored between layers of wax paper in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIES

Steps:

• Using a double boiler melt the almond bark.
• Meanwhile, use a food processor to crush the candies or candy canes.* Place the crushed candy onto a plate or shallow bowl.
• Dip the top of each wafer cookie into the almond bark or white chocolate.
• Immediately dip the top of the cookie into the crushed candies.
• Place the cookie on a waxed paper lined baking sheet. Allow to set.
• Store in an air-tight container for several days.
• *If you do not have a food processor, place the candies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.