Peppermint Shortbread Thins Food

PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD THINS

Steps:

• In food processor, place peppermint candies. Cover; process until finely ground.
• In large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. On low speed, beat in ground candies, flour and salt just until blended. Shape dough into 8x2-inch log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Unwrap dough; cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, the milk and peppermint extract. Divide glaze in half. Tint half of glaze with red food color. Drizzle red and white glazes over cookies. Store loosely covered.

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 BITES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. On low speed, beat in flour and peppermint extract.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, pat dough into 6-inch square, about 3/4 inch thick. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325°F. On cookie sheet, cut dough into 8 rows by 8 rows, making 64 squares. With knife, separate rows by 1/4 inch.
• Bake 28 to 35 minutes or until set and edges are just starting to turn golden. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix crushed candy and granulated sugar. In small resealable food-storage plastic bag, place melted candy coating. Seal bag; cut tiny hole in corner of bag.
• Do not remove cookies from cookie sheet. Pipe candy coating over cookies. Before candy coating sets, sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Place cookies to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

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:

• 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.

PEPPERMINT TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Generously grease a 28x18cm tray with butter and set aside. In a pan, melt the butter, sugar, cocoa and chocolate.
• Meanwhile, crush the disgestive biscuits, either in a sandwich bag with a rolling pin, or blitz in a blender. Add to the melted mixture and stir until combined.
• Transfer the base mixture to your prepared tray and using a wooden spoon, press the mixture into the tray, ensuring you get right into the corners and have an even finish. Place the base into the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
• Once the base has cooled, prepare the filling but sifting the icing sugar into a large bowl. Add 1 tsp of hot water at a time until you have a spreadable consistency; 3-4 tsp of water should be enough but add more or less as required.
• Add the peppermint extract and green food colouring (optional) to the icing and mix until well combined. Spread the icing evenly over the biscuit base and return to the fridge for another 1 hour to set.
• Once the filling has set, remove from the fridge and set aside. Over a bain marie (or in short bursts in the microwave) melt the dark chocolate before pouring and evenly spreading on top of the filling. If desired, top with some crushed Mint Aero.
• Allow the peppermint slice to set in the fridge for at least 1 hour but ideally overnight. Once set, cut into your desired size. To prevent chocolate from cracking, allow traybake to reach room temperature before cutting and use a knife soaked in boiling water.

PEPPERMINT PETTICOAT TAILS SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar and peppermint essence in a food processor and whizz until pale and creamy. Add the flour, cornflour and salt, and pulse until the mixture clumps together into small pieces. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and bring the dough together as a ball, but don't overwork it. Roll the dough to a 25cm circle, about 1cm thick. Trim around a large plate to give a really neat edge. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Use 2 fingers to crimp all the way around the edge of the dough then, using a fork, mark dotted lines to portion the shortbread into 8 wedges. Put the tray in the fridge and chill for at least 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the shortbread for 25 mins until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool completely on the tray. To decorate, place a lacy doily over the shortbread and dust with a generous layer of icing sugar. Pull the doily away to reveal the beautiful lacy pattern. Keep in a tin for up to 5 days.