Mint Patty Cake Food

MINT PATTY CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs, oil and extract; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes., Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place white chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Stir in butter. Chill for 30 minutes, stirring once., Beat on high for 2-3 minutes or until soft peaks form and frosting is light and fluffy. Set aside 2-1/2 cups for frosting cake. Stir patties into remaining frosting., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the peppermint patty filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with reserved frosting. Store in the refrigerator. Garnish with additional patties.

PEPPERMINT PATTIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine condensed milk and peppermint extract. Beat in enough confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, to form a stiff dough that is no longer sticky. Form into 1 inch balls, then place on waxed paper and flatten with fingers to form patties. Let patties dry at room temperature two hours, turning once.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring often. Remove from heat. Dip patties, one at a time, into chocolate by laying them on the tines of a fork and lowering the fork into the liquid. Let cool on waxed paper until set.

DARK CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PATTIE CAKE

Steps:

• If you're one of those individuals who always opts for the chocolate-covered Thin Mints when your local Girl Scout representative comes calling, this dessert is for you. The refreshing peppermint counterpoint takes the edge off the intense fudge-like cake.
• To facilitate cutting the Peppermint Patties, I often freeze them first. Use a hot, dry long-bladed knife to cut perfectly clean slices of the cake.
• Serve with whipped cream, cocoa fudge sauce, and a drizzle of mint syrup.
• Cocoa Fudge Sauce, recipe follows, for serving
• Mint Syrup, recipe follows, for serving
• To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.
• Melt the chocolate with the butter and cream in the top of a double boiler. Reserve.
• In the bowl of a mixer with a whip, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and light (about 5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix until just blended. Add the flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the bowl once or twice. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and stir in the Peppermint Pattie pieces. The mixture will be quite thick.
• In a clean mixing bowl, with a clean whip, beat the egg whites to medium soft peaks. Lighten the batter by stirring in about one-third of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites and the place batter in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake will feel set and very fine hairline cracks will just start to form around the edges. Remove and cool in the pan on a rack.
• To make the ganache topping: Heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan to just under a boil. Add the chopped chocolate and, over very low heat, constantly stirring, cook the mixture until it is completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable. This can take several hours. You can make the topping up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it, and allow it to come to room temperature for several hours before using. You can also hasten the cooling process by placing the melted ganache over an ice bath and gently stirring it till thickened; however, the resulting texture may not be quite as smooth and creamy.
• Place the cooled cake upside down on a cardboard cake circle or a service plate. Remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan. Remove the parchment liner. Using an offset spatula, decoratively spread the ganache over what is now the top of the cake, drawing the ganache all the way out to the edges of the cake. Using the offset spatula, level the edges to give the cake a finished look. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream, Cocoa Fudge Sauce and Mint Syrup.
• Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk in the cream and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking often. Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and strain though a fine sieve. Cool and serve at room temperature. This can be made up to 1 week ahead of time. It can also be frozen.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer several minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Reserve.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Have a strainer and a bowl of ice water at the ready. Working quickly, place the mint leaves in the boiling water and blanch until just wilted (about 10 seconds). Immediately strain the mint and place the leaves directly in the ice water to set their color. Strain the mint again, pressing to remove excess liquid.
• Place the mint leaves and half of the reserved syrup in a blender. Puree the mint, stopping several times to scrape down the blender bowl. Add the remaining syrup and blend for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a clean storage container and allow to sit overnight, covered, at room temperature.
• Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solid mint puree. Store the syrup, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. Shake or stir lightly before using.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups

PEPPERMINT PATTY CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350; grease& flour 12 cup Bundt pan In microwave safe bowl combine chocolate, peppermint candies and milk; heat on hi at 20 sec intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted; reserve Combine flour, baking pwdr and salt; at hi speed beat butter with sugar until fluffy, reduce speed to med, beat in eggs 1 at a time and vanilla until combined; alternately beat in flour mixture and milk; beat 1 minute Trnasfer 1 cup batter to bowl; stir in reserve melted chocolate mixture; pour 5 cups plain batter into pan; drop half of chocolate batter over batter in pan Swirl knife thru batters to marble Add remaining plain& choc.
• batters to pan; with knife, marble batters by scooping knife into& up thru batters.
• Bake 1 hr to 1 hr 10, or until toothpick comes out clean; cook in pan 30 minutes; remove; cool completely on rack Glaze: In micro safe bowl combine chocolate& butter; heat in micro on hi at 10 sec.
• intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted; pour over cake; garnish with candies if desired.

PEPPERMINT PATTY POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º. Make cake as with water, eggs and oil as directed on package for 9 x 13 pan (approx. 30 minutes); cool 15 minutes.
• Poke top of warm cake every 1/4 inch with handle of wooden spoon. In Medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with wire whisk about 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour filling evenly into holes in cake. Cover loosely and refrigerate about 2 hours until chilled.
• Place sugar, butter and milk in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir until the mixture comes to a boil, 3-4 minutes. Still stirring, let the mixture boil until the sugar dissolves, 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
• Stir in chocolate chips, and continue to stir until chocolate has melted. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in peppermint extract.
• Pour/spread frosting over cake top while still warm. (frosting will firm as it cools). Chill at leat 30 minutes and store in the refrigerator.
• Can be garnished with junior mint candies, crushed peppermint sticks, or mint chocolate chips.

BEST PEPPERMINT PATTY CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake:.
• Trace three 9-inch cake pans onto sheets of wax paper. Cut out wax paper circles. Grease the cake pans well with shortening. Place wax paper in bottom of pans. Grease well again over the wax paper. Flour pans well.
• Melt chocolate morsels in the microwave on HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes). Stir until smooth.
• Beat softened butter and brown sugar at medium speed for about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating until blended.
• Sift together flour, baking soda & salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add hot water. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
• Bake at 350°f for 30 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans and let cool completely on wire racks. Remove wax paper. Spread Peppermint Filling evenly between cake layers. Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly on top and sides of cake. (garnish with chopped peppermint candy, if desired).
• For the Peppermint Filling.
• Beat butter at medium speed until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat after each addition at low speed. Stir in peppermint extract.
• For the Ganache.
• Microwave chocolate morsels and whipping cream in at 2 quart bowl at MEDIUM power FOR 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter and let stand 20 minutes.
• Beat at medium speed 3 to 4 minutes or until soft peaks form.
• Ice top and sides of cake with Ganache.
• Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over Ganache.

MINT PATTY CAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Put the butter, cocoa powder and 3/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the brown sugar.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla; stir into the batter until just combined but don't overmix.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the topping: Beat the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, shortening and peppermint extract with a mixer until a tight paste forms. Gather into a ball, place between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch thick (microwave 15 seconds to soften, if necessary). Use a 21/2-inch round cutter or juice glass to cut into disks; reroll the scraps. Place a peppermint disk on top of each cupcake.
• Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, corn syrup, butter and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power until the chocolate melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk to combine, then cool slightly. Spread the glaze over the peppermint topping, leaving some peppermint exposed. Refrigerate until set, at least 20 minutes. Serve cold.