I said yesterday I was finished with Chocolate Peppermint recipes and purchases, but I have one more handy recipe that you can make now and keep in the fridge or freezer. If you store it, just be sure to whip it up before you use it: Easy Chocolate Peppermint Ganache.
1 pint cream
1 1/2 lbs dark chocolate 60-75% cacao, organic and fair trade
1/4 tsp of pure peppermint extract
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in metal bowl Bring the cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then start whisking from the center out, until all the chocolate is melted and uniform. Add the peppermint extract. Let it set.
There are so many uses for ganache. Here are a few: to frost cakes, cupcakes and cookies or as a filling in a layer cake. This ganache is also great for sandwich cookies and macarons. In a pinch you can make truffles with this ganache (just roll in cocoa). I've used this as a mousse: just add some whipped cream and whip it up. Who wouldn't love a Chocolate Peppermint Mousse for the holidays, served with chocolate shortbread cookies? This Ganache can also be used as a tart filling (with chocolate shells?) Crepes: make chocolate crepes with a thin layer of ganache--or stack with a layer of thinned ganache in between each crepe. So many uses. What would you do with this Chocolate Peppermint Ganache?
Fields of Cake had a great recipe yesterday for Candy Cane White Chocolate Ganache. Yummy. Looks fabulous, and you can use it in much the same way as above.
I made this to ice a chocolate mud cake the other day... I used less than the advised quantity of chocolate and cream and the same amount of Peppermint Essence but it was very weak. I'd suggest using more if you want that after dinner mint flavour :).
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