This recipe is really similar to Williams-Sonoma.  I didn’t use dark or semi sweet chocolate, though, as I had milk-chocolate chips in the house already.  I also could not find “Peppermint” extract in any of my local markets, so I ended up using a genera “Mint” extract.

The original recipe has you melting the chocolate over a double boiler.  I find that to be a bit fussy, and so stick to the microwave method.  The trick to melting chocolate in the microwave is to stir it every 30 seconds, or it can burn or separate.

I made this for New Years Eve and everyone loved it.  Yummmy goodness!

Peppermint Bark

12 ounce bag chocolate chips, any – dark, semi or milk
16 ounce bag white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed

Preheat the oven to 250F (121C).

Crush the peppermint candy.  I used about 10 candy canes when I did this.  I tried crushing these with a wooden mallet, and then ended  up putting the candy into a ziplock, and getting out the hammer!!  Do what works for you.

Line a 9×13 pan (cake pan) with foil.  Let the foil hang over the edges and wrap it around.  Spray the foil with non-stick spray, or, using vegetable oil, spread the oil lightly over the bottom of the pan, as well as the sides.

Pour in the chocolate chips and spread them out evenly.  Try to put them in as evenly as possible the first time, so you don’t get oil on the top of the chocolate.  Place the pan in the oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  The chips will look glossy, but will be melted.  Spread the chocolate out evenly.  Place in the refrigerator until firm – 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the refrigerator and allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Remove any condensation that may occur with a paper towel.

Once the chocolate has been out for the 10 minutes, place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Place in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Remove.  Stir.  Replace and set for another 30 seconds.  Do that until the chocolate has melted.  Add in the peppermint extract and stir well.

Once the white chocolate has melted, pour it over the chocolate in the pan, and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the crushed peppermint.   Refrigerate about 1 hour.  Lift the foil out of the pan and remove the excess peppermint and the foil.  Break or cut this into pieces.  For a more “formal” look, cut it into 2 inch wide strips.   You can store this in a cool, dry place for a couple of weeks or longer in the refrigerator.  Place the pieces in a container, layer with parchment paper and store tightly sealed.  This makes about 2 pounds.

Variations:

Replace the peppermint extract and peppermint candies, using a variation below:

Almond Bark – Use 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, and 1/2 cup of blanched, chopped (or sliced) almonds.

Cherry Almond - use 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring, 1/3 cup dried cherries, minced, and 1/2 cup blanched, chopped (or sliced) almonds

Maple Walnut Bark – Use 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring, and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

Cranberry & Pistachios – 1/3 cup of dried cranberries, minced, and 1/2 cup of pistachios

Toasted Coconut and Almonds – 1/2 cup blanched, chopped (or sliced) almonds, and 1/3 cup of shredded coconut

Other variations:

Peanut Butter-  Replace the white chocolate, mint and peppermint candies with  16 ounces Peanut butter chips and  1/2 cup salted peanuts

Butterscotch – Replace the white chocolate with peanut butter chips, the chocolate with butterscotch chips, don’t use the peppermint extract, and replace the candy with peanuts and broken pretzels

Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties

1 egg white
4 cups powdered sugar (10x)
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
cornstarch
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (either semi-sweet, or milk)

Beat the egg white until frothy, but don’t let it get stiff.

Begin adding the powdered sugar, blending with a mixer, if you have one. A fast whisk if you don’t.

Add in the corn syrup and the peppermint extract. You will need to knead this with your hands — add in more powdered sugar if you need to, until the mix isn’t sticky.

Cover a surface with cornstarch, and roll our the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter (think fun shapes for holidays), cut out the dough. If you use a 2 inch cutter, you should be able to get about 20. Set the cut out pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If refrigerating overnight, cover with plastic wrap.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Use a microwave, and do short 30 second burts, stirring in-between, so the chocolate melts slowly, and isn’t broken.

Remove the peppermints from the refrigerator. Grab a second baking sheet, and line it with more parchment paper. Dip each piece into the melted chocolate (use a couple of forks, drop the piece in, lift out with the forks, and remove the excess chocolate by tapping the bowl. Place the peppermints on the parchment to cool. If this goes slowly for you, reheat the chocolate, again using the 30 second method, until the chocolate is melted again. Continue to dip the peppermints until you are finished. Don’t forget to lick the forks when you are done ;)

Refrigerate the peppermints for 30 or so minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened up. Wrap in candy wraps, and store in a cool dry area for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

This is the shape the "bones" should be

Chocolate Mint Diseased Skeleton Bones (Cookies!!)

(aka Chocolate Mint Meringues)

3 large eggs, whites only
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 200F and line two baking sheets with parchment or baking paper.

Beat the egg whites with cream of tarter and salt until quite fluffy.  Slowly add in the sugar, and the peppermint.

Place the mixture in a pastry bag, if you have one.  If you don’t have a pastry bag, place the mixture into a large (gallon sized) ziplock bag, and cut off the very tip.  Go small with the cut, and make it larger if needed.  Even a small cut can end up really large once you start piping.

Next, pipe out “bone shapes” onto the parchment paper.  Don’t make these too small — 2-3 inches.  The shapes can be whatever you think a bone would look like, but I usually do them in a shape of the capital letter ” I “, as above, or like a small moon. Leg bones and ribs, you know ;)

Put both baking sheets in the oven, and then bake for one hour.  Then turn off the oven and allow the cookies to set for another hour.  This should make about 5 dozen or so.

Notes:

• We’ve always called these “diseased” looking cookies.  For the less “diseased” look, leave out the chocolate chips ;)
• You can safely leave out the chocolate chips and cocoa
• If you can let these dry in the oven overnight (no heat!!), they are even better.
• Use whatever flavoring you like — Peppermint, Spearmint, Wintergreen (my fav), almond, vanilla, rum.. up to you and whatever you prefer.
• You can, of course, make these as traditional meringue cookies, just pipe, or spoon these onto the parchment and proceed as instructed.

My second memory was trying to make mayo cake by myself when I was about 8 years old.  However, I did not realize that whole wheat flour and white flour would change the cake.. and I forgot to put sugar.  It was bad bad bad.. and yet, my family still ate it (Smothered in ice cream, and whipped cream, it wasn’t all that bad.. I think :P).

I did get the recipe right, eventually.  And when I got older, I played around with it a bit.  The original recipe has 1 cup of water, instead of 1 cup of espresso.  I’ve tried regular, different strengths, and various flavored coffees, but the best flavor by far is a cup of strong espresso which adds a depth of flavor that is just amazing.  If you don’t have espresso, use a cup of very strong coffee.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I always have.

Mocha Mayonnaise Cake with Chocolate Ganache

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup strong espresso (or strong coffee)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Cream together the sugar, mayonnaise, espresso and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar-mayonnaise mixture and mix until well blended and smooth.

Pour the cake batter into a greased and floured cake pan (9- x 13-inch pan).  Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes.**

Once the cake has finished, allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, and the remove from the pan carefully and allow to cool on a cake rack.

While the cake is baking, make the ganache.

In a medium sauce pan (I prefer Saucier Pan), bring the cream to a simmer, and then remove from heat.  Add in the chocolate and butter, and whisk until smooth and shiny.  

Spread the ganache over the cake as evenly as possible, and allow to set. 

**If you are going to make this as a layer cake, bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.  You may also need to make a bit more of the ganache, to cover all the layers.

Notes:

• Use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise– it gives the cake a tangy flavor that is really good.
• Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans and shredded chocolate
• Make 2 batches of the ganache.  Set aside one batch for the cake, and use the other to dip fresh strawberries.  Place the strawberries on top of the cake in a pretty way — or do this with black cherries (pitted, of course).  Mmmy goodness.
• Replace the espresso with water, if you are not into the coffee flavor.

My son and I had a fantastic afternoon, walking around at the park, doing some window shopping., talking about music, art, growing up, moving to another country, what kind of person he wants to be, changing attitudes and ideas.  A conversation that evolved into a bit about everything as we walked in downtown White Plains.

The city itself has changed a lot over the past few years, and I have not really explored it all that much.  Dancing Fountains, new shops — a restaurant in an old bank, with a special dining room — inside the bank vault.  A huge movie theatre, lots of new restaurants, Trumps new building, and the new ‘Ritz’ within walking distance of just about everything.

The real destination of our day out, though, was dinner.  My son had made reservations the previous week at a new restaurant in the area called ‘The Melting Pot’.

We were seated in a comfortable 2 person table.  It was very cozy, with fiber-optic lighting above — a ‘starry night sky’.  The table was tucked away, in such a way that neighboring tables couldn’t even be seen.  I am sure this would be a very romantic place to take a sig-other.  For my son and I, the seclusion was very a good thing — he kept singing (quite off key) various songs (The Hippy Hippy Shake), as well as asking me a list of “Get to Know Your Mother” questions (What is your favorite movie, what is your favorite toe, what is your favorite song, etc.).

The menu was a special one for Mothers Day — there were 3-4 choices per course.  Our choices included:

 The Cheese Course  – We selected ‘Mediterranean Cheese’ – “Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses blended with roasted garlic, dates, shallots and a touch of white truffle oil.”

As a woman, with the need for cheese in my DNA, this selection was just amazing.  I would have liked to try a different combination, but this particular mix, I thought, would appeal a bit more to my son, than some others — he’s not overly fond of melted cheese.  Or, wasn’t, anyway.  He devoured this, and would have had more, if possible. It was the garlic that got him ;)

The Salad Course – we both chose Caesar salads.   

The Main Course came with a big selection – “Filet Mignon, Jerk-Seasoned Tenderloin, Teriyaki Marinated Sirloin, Garlic and Herb Chicken, White Shrimp, and Salmon, accompanied by summer Squash, Broccoli, Fancy Button Mushrooms, Red Bliss Potatoes & a variety of dipping sauces.  The main course was braised in Coq Au Vin broth made of fresh herbs, mushrooms, garlic, spices, and burgundy wine in a light stock.”

Oh, now this was fun, and so good.   There were several different selections of braising broths to choose from – lots of different flavors, as well as  one with canola oil, to fry the meats and vegetables in. 

There were also several different dipping sauces, which were nice, though with all the spices on the meat, and then the flavor of the Coq Au Vin, the sauces were really not necessary.

The Dessert Course – “The Flaming Turtle – Milk chocolate, caramel & chopped pecans, flambeed,  served with strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, chocolate marshmallows, graham cracker encrusted marshmallows, pound cake, and brownies”.

Okay……… I think chocolate is okay — nothing that I can’t live without.  Nothing I really go out of my way to eat, either.  So, when we ordered this dessert, I wasn’t as excited as some people might be (Anth, of course, was eagerly anticipating the chocolate, and probably could have slurped up the  melted chocolate via a straw, had I let him).  However.. when the waitress came to the table with this pot of melted chocolate, adding in the warm caramel, and the pecans.. I started to re-think my feelings about chocolate.  Nothing much else I can actually express here except……

“Holy gods almighty.. heaven on a fondue fork”.

Needless to say, with all the food served to us over about 2 hours, neither of us could really move — driving back home was endless, and about 13 seconds after I got up the stairs, and into the apartment, I was changed into loose fitting pjs.  But it was worth every bite.

One last thing.. a very big *Thank you* to my son for making this day such a special one – as he has since the day he was born.  I hope he remembers that the next time we go to the Melting Pot, I get both the chocolate marshmallows ;)

This is a candy that originated in Ohio, and spread over the mid-west. A friend on IRC, who is from Ohio, shared the recipe (and the picture of the completed candy) – Thank you BS.

A “buckeye” nut from the Buckeye Tree.

Candy buckeyes are named after the shiny, dark nuts of the Buckeye Tree-the official state tree for Ohio. The state’s original settlers found it to be an unfamiliar tree in the forest, and adopted it as a symbol of Ohio heritage. These pioneers carved the soft buckeye wood into troughs, platters and even cradles. Today, buckeye trees are prominent in the Ohio River Valley, and are known for being resilient and hearty.

The nuts of the tree, which are actually mildly toxic, were given their name because of their resemblance to the eyes of white-tailed deer. Folk wisdom says that carrying a buckeye nut in your pocket brings good luck.

These are fun and simple to make – perfect for the kids to do, with adult supervision when melting the chocolate.

Enjoy!

Buckeyes (Peanut Butter and Chocolate Candies)

2 cups butter
2 pounds peanut butter
2 pounds to 2 1/2 pounds confectioners sugar
2 1/2 pounds milk chocolate

Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Shape into walnut-size balls. Insert a toothpick in center of each ball. Place on a cookie sheet, as close together as possible, and put in the freezer overnight (or at least 4 hours).

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler slowly, or in the microwave. Dip frozen balls into melted chocolate. Leave a bit of the peanut butter showing when you dip these, so they look like the Buckeye. Place on parchment or wax paper to dry. Remove the toothpick and smooth over the hole the toothpick made.

Store in a tightly covered container, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

Notes:

In order to make the mixture into balls, I refrigerate the mixture for a couple of hours. You can do this overnight, as well.

This recipe makes a LOT. I almost always cut the recipe in half, as follows:

1 Cup butter
1 pound peanut butter
1 – 1 1/2 pound confectioners sugar
1 12 ounce bag of milk chocolate chips

This halved recipe still makes a lot.

Variation:

Using a mini-muffin tin, place candy cups into the muffing holes, add a bit of melted milk chocolate to the bottom of each cup, making sure it is spread evenly and covers the whole bottom of the cup. Allow to cool (stick it in the refrigerator for a few minutes). Add a spoonful of the peanut butter mixture, and spread evenly. Cover with more melted chocolate.

Or, instead of making the peanut butter mix as above, make your favorite Peanut Butter Fudge recipe (or mine). Once cooled, roll into balls and proceed as above, freezing for a few hours, and rolling in chocolate.

I always make these around the holidays, and this year will be no different.  This time I’ll take them to work and let everyone enjoy them….so I don’t end up eating them all ;)

This recipe is actually a variation of another recipe.  The original recipe called for peanut butter and peanuts, instead of Nutella and hazelnuts. (See here for the original recipe), but though that one is great, this is just.. amazingly yummy.  It’s always the first thing to go, and people are always asking for the recipe.

Enjoy!!

Crunchy Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Bars

2 cups Nutella
4 cups powdered sugar (10x sugar or icing sugar)
1/2 cup butter
3 cups of a crunchy cereal, like rice chex
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts

In either a sauce pan, or the microwave, melt 1/2 cup of butter and set aside.

Mix the Nutella and powdered sugar.  Add in the melted butter and mix well.

Fold in the cereal, and then spread evenly in a cake sized pan (13×9). 

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips, and spread over the Nutella mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Allow to cool well, and then cut into squares.

This keeps for about a week, in a tightly covered container.

Notes:

There are lots of variations to this recipe.. for example, use cashew butter or another nut butter.  If using cashews, use chopped cashews in place of the peanuts. 

And of course, there is the traditional peanut butter and peanut recipe as well.

2 cups peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
4 cups powdered sugar (10x sugar or icing sugar)
1/2 cup butter
3 cups of a crunchy cereal, like rice chex
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped peanuts

In either a sauce pan, or the microwave, melt 1/2 cup of butter and set aside.

Mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar.  Add in the melted butter and mix well.

Fold in the cereal, and then spread evenly in a cake sized pan (13×9). 

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips, and spread over the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

Allow to cool well, and then cut into squares.

This keeps for about a week, in a tightly covered container.