Chocolate Peppermint Sauce For Two Recipes

Steps:

• Combine cream, crushed candy canes and water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until candy melts. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over low heat.)

Steps:

• In a one-cup glass measuring cup, stir together sugar and cream, then stir in chocolate chips.
• Microwave, uncovered, on Medium (275 watts) until chocolate is softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in extract until smooth.
• Serve warm over ice cream.
• Refrigerate any leftover sauce.

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Place ice cream in large bowl. Fold in candies and peppermint extract. Cover and freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.
• Make cream puff pastry:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment. Combine 3/4 cup water, butter, sugar and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until butter melts. Add flour and stir over medium heat until dough pulls away from sides of pan and forms ball, about 2 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat 3 eggs into dough 1 at a time. Transfer dough to pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe sixteen 1 1/2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Beat 1 egg in small bowl. Brush over dough mounds (do not drip egg onto sheet).
• Bake pastries 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pastries until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using skewer, pierce side of each pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake pastries 5 minutes longer; transfer to racks and cool completely. (Ice cream and pastries can be made 1 week ahead. Keep ice cream frozen. Enclose pastries in resealable plastic bag; freeze. Thaw pastries before continuing.)
• Make chocolate sauce:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.)
• Cut pastries crosswise in half. Place 1 scoop ice cream into bottom of each pastry. Cover with pastry tops. Spoon some warm chocolate sauce into 8 bowls. Place 2 profiteroles atop sauce in each bowl. Spoon sauce over profiteroles. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and water in saucepan.
• Melt.
• Add sugar and salt.
• Cook, stir til sugar dissolves.
• Add butter, peppermint and nuts.
• Stir to mix.
• Store in covered container in fridge.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a metal bowl. Bring cream to a boil; pour over chocolate. Let stand 15 minutes; stir until smooth and combined.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture is smooth and candy is melted, stirring occasionally. , Pour into small airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator. Serve warm over ice cream or cake.