Chocolate Peppermint Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil over high heat; stir in peppermint extract. Strain cream into chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth (mixture will appear oily at first.) Cool until mixture falls in ribbons when spoon is lifted, 2 to 6 minutes.
• To ice cake, set the cake on a serving platter. Tuck parchment or waxed paper under sides of cake (to keep platter clean). Pour icing onto center of cake. Use an offset spatula or a dinner knife to spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• For the cake:
• Position a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with nonstick spray.
• Whisk applesauce and 1 tsp. baking powder in a small bowl. Mix chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour 1 3/4 cups boiling water over and whisk until chocolate is melted. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. baking powder into another medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat mayonnaise, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl (or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add half of applesauce mixture and beat to blend. Add remaining applesauce mixture, then beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating to blend after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth top.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through, until center is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of cakes and invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Let cool.
• For the frosting:
• Heat chocolate, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in peppermint extract and 1/4 cup water. Chill, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting thickens, about 25 minutes. If frosting gets too thick, gently reheat over pot of simmering water.
• For the chocolate petals:
• Heat chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium pot of barely simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water), stirring occasionally, or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dip clean, dry pastry brush into melted chocolate. Brush a stripe of chocolate about 3" long and 1/8" thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill. Repeat process on second parchment-lined baking sheet. Swap trays and go over original brush strokes, repeating and chilling in between coatings and gently reheating chocolate if needed, until stems are 1/4" thick.
• When stems are thick enough, sprinkle one end with crushed candy canes. Chill until set, about 10 minutes.
• For assembly:
• Spread 1 Tbsp. frosting in the center of a platter. Place 1 cake layer, domed side down, on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting evenly over top. Place remaining cake layer, domed side down, over frosting.
• Spread top and sides of cake with remaining 2 cups frosting, swirling top decoratively. Press chocolate stems into frosting on sides of cake. Serve at room temperature.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be made 3 days ahead; wrap tightly in plastic and chill, or freeze up to 2 weeks. Frosting can be made 5 days ahead; chill, or freeze up to 1 month. Gently reheat over pot of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between bursts. Chocolate stems can be made 3 days ahead; keep chilled.

Steps:

• In a blender, combine milk, ice cream and extract; cover and process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup peppermint candies. Pour into chilled glasses. Top with whipped cream and remaining peppermint candies; serve immediately.

Steps:

• Stir 2 tablespoons milk, cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract together in a mug until well blended.
• Microwave 3/4 cup milk on high for 2 1/2 minutes in a microwave-safe mug. Pour the hot milk over the cocoa mixture; stir with candy cane.

Steps:

• Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan on medium heat to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add the semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates. When the chocolates are melted, whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso, if using, and whisk vigorously. Reheat gently and pour into cups or mugs.
• Crush 4 candy canes (I place them in a plastic bag and break them up with a wooden rolling pin). Stir 1/2 tablespoon of crushed candy cane into each mug, top with a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkle with crushed candy canes, and put a whole candy cane stirrer into each mug. Serve hot.
• Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed only until the cream makes soft peaks.
• Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Steps:

• Make the cake: Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease an 8-by-8-inch square or 9-inch round light-colored metal baking pan with oil.
• In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and eggs. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to beat the mixture until foamy and slightly lighter in texture and color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, vanilla and salt, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and whisk until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir the espresso powder into the hot water, then add the mixture to the bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan set on a rack for about 45 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, clean the mixing bowl and make the frosting: Add the butter to the bowl and mix on medium-high with an electric mixer until smooth, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until the sugar is moistened, then add 2 teaspoons of the cream, the vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and salt. Turn the speed up to medium-high, and whip until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes, adding a bit more cream a teaspoon at a time, if necessary, to make a smooth and light frosting. Taste the frosting, and add a few more drops of peppermint extract if desired. The frosting can be kept at room temperature while the cake finishes baking and cooling.
• Top the cooled cake with an even layer of frosting, then use the tip of a toothpick to dot the frosting with a few small dots of gel food coloring, if using. Use a spoon or offset spatula to swirl the food coloring into the frosting to create candy cane-like stripes - just a few swipes will do the trick. If you mix it in too much, the frosting will turn pink. Top the cake with sprinkles and shaved chocolate, if desired. Store leftover cake loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and heat over medium-low heat. When the cream mixture just begins to steam, add the chopped chocolate, and stir, until melted. Stir in the peppermint oil. Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Steps:

• Cream shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Break each candy bar into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. square cookie cutter. Place half of squares 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Place a chocolate piece in the center of each square; cover with remaining squares, pressing edges to seal., Bake until edges are golden brown, 9-11 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, extract and enough milk to reach a spreading consistency. Spread over cookies; sprinkle with candies., To make ahead: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Wrap in plastic and place in a resealable bag. Refrigerate., Freeze option: Place wrapped dough in resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze. If necessary, let dough stand 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Prepare and bake cookies as directed. Iced cookies can be frozen up to 1 month., , ,

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil over high heat; stir in extract. Strain cream into bowl of chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth (mixture will appear oily at first). Cool until mixture falls in ribbons when spoon is lifted, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Set cake (Chocolate-Peppermint Cake) on a serving platter. Tuck parchment or waxed paper under sides of cake (to keep platter clean). Pour icing onto center of cake. Use an offset spatula or a dinner knife to spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes.