Mint Chocolate Brownies

The last and final recipe from my baking day extravaganza.  A classic flavor for the holidays and one of my favorites, Mint!

You start this recipe making a classic brownie and then you get a little crazy by adding two more layers of deliciousness.

Allow yourself some time to make these brownies, you need to refrigerate each layer before you ever get to cut them into squares. It's totally worth it though.  The brownies are nice an fudgy and the burst of mint flavor is awesome.  The chocolate layer on top just brings it all together.  Definitely a great holiday brownie

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (85g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Mint Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2 cups (240g) confectioners' sugar for dusting
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) milk
• 1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 drop liquid or green gel food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Topping

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cooking Directions

1. For the Brownies: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and the chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Remover from the heat. You can also microwave this mixture in a heat safe bowl in 30 second increments until smooth.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch dish with parchment paper or tin foil leaving some hanging over the sides.
3. Whisk both sugars into the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture one at a time, whisking after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla. 
6. Gently fold in the salt, flour and cocoa powder. Pour into the prepared baking dish. 
7. Bake for 35-36 minutes.  The brownies will begin to pull away from the side of the pan. Insert a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out clean they are done. 
8. Let the brownies cool down to room temperature and then pull them out of the pan and place on a cookie sheet but do not cut into squares yet. 
9. At this point you can refrigerate or even freeze the brownies if you're making them ahead of time. 
10. For the Mint Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth.  Add the confectioners' sugar and milk and mix until smooth. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute.  Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and beat until combined. Taste and add more extract if desired. Frost on top of the cooled brownies. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before doing the next step. 
11. For the Chocolate Topping: In a small saucepan melt the butter and chocolate chips together over low heat until melted and smooth.  You can also do this in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour on top of the frosted brownies and then refrigerate again for another hour before cutting into squares. 

White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge

Another item I made on baking day with my friend Melissa this past weekend.  This one was one of my favorites (oh who am I kidding, I loved them all).  I've never been known to make great fudge.  I've tried often but I seem to always get it wrong.  This recipe was a great one, however.

I loved the combination of white chocolate and the cranberries.  I got the less sugar cranberries and I'm glad I did.  It was a great contrast between the tart cranberries and the sweet chocolate.

I'm also in love with the colors. The pure white with big red splashes of color is just so Christmas-y.

I am thrilled with how this recipe turned out.  So festive and different for a change in my usual dessert line-up.  I hope you'll give this one a try this year.

White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge

Recipe from Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream (not light)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 (5 oz) bag dried cranberries

Cooking Directions

1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with tin foil and then scary with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, sour cream, butter and salt.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Continue cooking until mixture reaches 238 degrees.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips, stir until melted.
6. Add the marshmallow cream and the vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
7. Stir in the dried cranberries.
8. Pour into the prepared dish and let sit until it has reached room temperature.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before cutting.
10. Store in an airtight container.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Yes, I am waiting until the very last minute to post my Christmas recipes.  Isn't that nice of me?

My friend Melissa and I had a baking day yesterday, as we do every year. We each made three things and then we share what we made, so we each have six items to show for it. I'll share mine all week.

These marshmallows might seem intimidating but they really aren't all that difficult to make.  It's easier if you have a stand mixer but a hand mixer will work also.  You also really need to have a candy thermometer or and instant read thermometer available.

Making marshmallows is basically just cooking a sugar syrup on the stove and then whipping the heck out of it until it becomes white, light and fluffy. Fairly easy but if you have small children you'll really want to be careful with this hot sugar syrup on the stove.  Use the back burner and see if they can be elsewhere when it's time to pour it into the mixer.

These marshmallows are fantastic in hot cocoa.  Gift idea: Make a homemade hot cocoa mixture, place in a bag and put inside of a cute Christmas cup, add a bag of these homemade marshmallows and you have a fantastic homemade gift for someone special.  Enjoy!!

Peppermint Marshmallows

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 3 packets unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cool water, divided
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp peppermint extract (optional) for a more pepperminty flavor
• 1/2 cup peppermint candies, crunched up
• 5-10 drops red food coloring (optional)
• confectioners' sugar

Cooking Directions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a mixing bowl) add the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the water. Let sit.
2. Spray a 9x13 inch with a non-stick spray and set aside.
3. In a heavy bottomed saucepan mix the granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Turn the heat on to medium and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up to high and bring the syrup to 238 degrees.
4. With your stand mixer on low, with the whisk attachment (or hand mixer) slowly pour the hot syrup into the bowl with the gelatin. Once it's all been added, slowly turn the speed up to high and watch for the mixture to turn white and thicken. This will take 3-10 minutes depending on your mixer.
5. You want the mixture to be thick but not so thick that it balls inside of your whisk. It would have cooled down to about 95 degrees.
6. Add the peppermint extract and then the crushed up peppermint candies. If you're adding food coloring, add it just at the end and don't fully mix it in. You just want the color to sort of stream through the whiteness, leaving streams of red and streams of white.
7. Spread the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle confectioners' sugar all over the top. I find it easiest to use a fine mesh strainer to get a nice fine sprinkling over the top.
8. Let the mixture dry for a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is best.
9. If possible, it's easiest to lift the entire out of the pan and place on waxed paper and then cut them that way. If not possible just cut them while they are still in the pan and then dredge them into more confectioners' sugar so all sides are covered.
10. Store them in an airtight container for several days.