CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PIE WITH PEPPERMINT OREO PIE CRUST

Here's a fabulous recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Pie. Since the original recipe is adapted from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, you realize there's going to be lots of butter, cream cheese and whipping cream. This is a perfect treat for the holidays!

I dressed this up even more by adding a Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Crust using Holiday Oreos--Candy Cane Joe Joes from Trader Joe's. It's a great crust for lots of holiday desserts.

Chocolate Peppermint Pie with Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust

Peppermint Oreo Pie Crust


Ingredients
2-1/4 cups of crushed Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joe's (oreo-like with peppermint filling), finely ground
2-1/2 ounces of melted sweet butter

Directions
Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter in bowl
Pour mixture into 9 inch pie pan and press into bottom and up sides evenly
Smooth surface with back of spoon
Refrigerate pie crust for at least an hour

Chocolate Peppermint Pie Filling 

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup pasteurized egg product* (egg beaters or similar product to avoid the raw egg controversy)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup white chocolate chips or white chocolate bar, chopped, melted and cooled
1/2 cup (20) peppermint candies, crushed
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped, or 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
crushed peppermints

Directions
In bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar together.
Combine egg product and whipping cream, and gradually add to butter mixture while beating, scraping bowl often. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reserve half of mixture in small bowl.
Add cooled white chocolate to remaining half of mixture; beat well. Stir in crushed candy. Spread in pie crust; chill 10 minutes.
Return reserved butter mixture to bowl, add cooled dark chocolate; beat well. Spread over white chocolate layer.
Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

National Cocoa Day: Recipe Round-Up

Today is National Cocoa Day, and it's blustery out there, so be sure and try one of these recipes to warm you up! I always post on National Cocoa Day, and this is an updated post with some new recipes. Cocoa or Hot Chocolate, whatever you call it, it's great!

A few years ago,  I posted several brands of cocoa that I enjoy, plus links and recipes. You'll definitely want to take a look. And, remember, using the best ingredients will result in the best cocoa/hot chocolate!

Want to know the difference between Natural and Dutch Process Cocoa? Click HERE.

Following are variations on classic Cocoa/Hot Chocolate. Some recipes are for one, some for four, and some for a crowd. Some use cocoa powder, others use chocolate bars, but all are delicious. If you have a favorite cocoa recipe, comment below with a link!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon Madegascar vanilla
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 ounces 75-85% cacao chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil

Directions: Add milk, cream, vanilla and sugar to pot and place over medium heat. When milk mixture is hot, add chopped chocolate and stir constantly. Continue stirring, adding remaining ingredients. When mixture is starting to simmer, take off heat and serve.

Eggnog Hot Chocolate
What would the holidays be without eggnog? Try this and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Dark Cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions: In blender or processor,  combine egg, milk, water, cocoa and nutmeg, blend until well mixed. Transfer mixture to top of  double boiler. Hear stirring occasionally, until mixture is steaming. Do not boil.

Argentinian Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp Madegascar or Mexican Vanilla
4 ounces good quality dark chocolate, broken into 1 ounce pieces

Directions: Heat milk, sugar and vanilla in pan until almost boiled. Remove from heat and divide  into 4 mugs. Immediately, put piece of chocolate in each mug. It will melt and have a fabulous taste.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons good-quality ground DARK cocoa
1 teaspoon sugar, plus extra to taste
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground almonds. You can add more if you want a thicker texture
1 cup milk

Directions: Mix all ingredients, except milk, together in empty, clean glass jar. Shake until completely combined. Heat  milk in a pan and add chocolate mix. Bring to boil and reduce  heat. Simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly; use small whisk to froth milk. Serve hot.

Mexican Hot Chocolate II

Ingredients
5  ounces dark Mexican Chocolate
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup hot water
Pinch of salt
1 tsp instant coffee
2 cups whole milk
1 egg (optional)
1/4 tsp Mexican vanilla extract
1 dried red chile pepper, smashed
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

Directions: In saucepan over medium-low heat, add Mexican chocolate, honey, hot water, salt, coffee, and chile pepper. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring constantly, for another minute. Carefully stir in milk and let sit over low heat until chocolate is too warm to touch. In bowl, beat egg until frothy. Add vanilla extract and beat in well. Pour hot chocolate mixture over the frothed egg and beat for about 15 seconds. (until you have about foam on top) Pour into mugs. Sprinkle mugs with ground cinnamon and shaved chocolate.

Honey Hot Chocolate   
The flavor of your cocoa will change with the variety of honey. Try lavender honey, sage, wildflower.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons honey
4 cups milk

Directions: Combine ingredients in medium-size sauce pan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until hot.

Hot Chocolate with Brown Sugar

Ingredients:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup water
4 cups hot milk
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
dash of salt

Preparation: In double boiler (or saucepan over a saucepan), melt chocolate and water together. Slowly mix in milk, sugar and salt. Whisk until chocolate is smooth and blended.

Parisian Warm Chocolate
I'm not sure where I found this recipe, but it works! Anything French works! Lots of varieties on this. Experiment!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/3 heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz chocolate- 65-75% cacao chocolate, chopped

Directions: Simmer milk, cream and sugar together until just boiling. Stir in chocolate until melted. Don't let it boil. Serve warm in mugs.

Spicy White Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
4 cups milk
7 oz. good white chocolate (Guittard, Ghirardelli, Green & Black), chopped
1 egg, beaten
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions: Put white chocolate in medium metal bowl or saucepan over another saucepan of  simmering water, or in top part of double boiler. Melt chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Stir in cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Whisk in egg until smooth. Gradually whisk in one cup of milk until completely incorporated (2-3 minutes). Gradually whisk in remaining milk, and heat until hot, but not simmering. Put in mugs and sprinkle with cinnamon or chocolate.

Peppermint White Chocolate Cocoa (is that redundant?)

Ingredients:
8 oz white chocolate, chopped
3 1/2 cups whole milk
6 hard peppermint candies, crushed fine
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2/3 cup whipping cream

Directions: Beat chilled cream with crushed mints until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Heat milk to simmer, them mix in chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add mint extract and stir through. Pour into mugs and top with minty whipped cream.

Candy Cane Cocoa   
variation on recipe from Sean Paajanen at About.com

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
3 ounces 60-85% cacao chocolate, chopped
4 red and white striped peppermint candies crushed
4 small red and white striped candy canes
whipped cream

Directions: In sauce pan bring milk tosimmer. Add chocolate and crushed candies. Whisk until smooth. Divide hot cocoa between mugs and garnish with whipped cream and serve with candycane stirring stick. 

Pumpkin Pie Cocoa from Pattie Tierney

Cocoa in a Jar: Great for gifts or just to have on hand -- and so many variations!

About the photo: This Vintage Advertisement for Cadbury Cocoa is special to me. First, my niece-in-law is a descendent of the founders of Cadbury Chocolate company. Second, my sister, Judie Siddall, is the President of the Transferware Collectors Club and sells antique blue and white transferware (pottery), similar to what is pictured in this advertisement, although, her wares are much older. She can be found at Merlin Antiques. She also blogs at Dishy News. And, we all like chocolate, so it's all in the Family!

Candy Cane Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

I go to a holiday dessert party every year. These Candy Cane Chocolate Covered Marshmallows are easy and delicious and are always a big hit. Here's what I took last year.. and what I'll probably take this year, too.

I like food on a stick, and these Candy Cane Chocolate Covered Marshmallows--the stick, of course, is a candy cane--are great! This is just a variation on Smores on a Stick. All you do differently is substitute a small candy cane for the plain stick and use crushed candy cane pieces in place of the graham cracker crumbs. These, didn't turn out very pretty, but they're incredibly tasty! I have learned a few things.. trial and error. You can also use homemade marshmallows or good quality marshmallows, but those packaged Puff Marshmallows hit the spot, too!

CANDY CANE CHOCOLATE COVERED MARSHMALLOWS

Directions
Melt good quality dark chocolate in a saucepan on top of another saucepan with simmering water.
Crush candy canes.. Here's the rub.. I should have left the candy cane pieces chunkier.. I kind of pulverized them.
Put a small curled candy cane in center of marshmallow.
Holding candy cane, dip marshmallow in melted chocolate.
Immediately swirl the marshmallow in crushed candy cane bits (or spoon candy cane bits over chocolate).
Put finished Candy Cane Chocolate Marshmallow on parchment lined cookie sheet. I recommend putting them flat with the candy cane straight up. I didn't do that, and as you can see, they were wobbly.
Repeat.
When you've dipped them all, put them in the refrigerator to firm up.

History of the Candy Cane from About.com:   

During the 17th century, Europeans adopted Christmas trees as part of Christmas celebrations, and they often made cookies and sugar stick candy as decorations. The first historical reference to the familiar cane shape goes back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, bent the sugar sticks into canes to represent a shepherd's staff. The all white candy canes were given out to children during the nativity services. This tradition of handing out candy canes during Christmas services spread throughout Europe and later to America.

The first historical reference to the candy cane being in America goes back to 1847, when German immigrant August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes.

About fifty years later the first red-and-white striped candy canes appeared. No one knows who exactly invented the stripes, but Christmas cards prior to the year 1900 showed only all white candy canes. Christmas cards after 1900 showed illustrations of striped candy canes. Around the same time, candy-makers added peppermint and wintergreen flavors to their candy canes and those flavors then became the traditional favorites.

Food of the Gods: Annamaria Alfieri

My chocolate and mystery worlds collide again! Today I welcome international mystery author Annamaria Alfieri. She is a big fan of chocolate. No surprise! This post originally appeared on the blog Murder in Everywhere, one of my favorite crime fiction sites! Reprinted with permission.

Annamaria Alfieri's latest novel is Blood Tango; set against the most dramatic period of Argentine history, it imagines the murder of an Evita Perón lookalike. It was chosen as one of ten must-read thrillers by The Christian Science Monitor. She has has also written Invisible Country and City of Silver. Writing as Patricia King, she is the author of the short story “Baggage Claim,” in the anthology Queens Noir. Her five books on business subjects include Never Work for a Jerk, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show. She blogs at Murder in Everywhere. A world traveler, Annamaria takes a keen interest in the history of the places she visits. She lives in New York City and is President of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

ANNAMARIA ALFIERI:
FOOD OF THE GODS

My subject today is inspired by a comment on last Monday’s post by our reader—Kathy D. She and I share a love for “the sacred food.” For many years now, I have called chocolate my drug of choice. When asked to take sides in discussions of religion, I claim to worship IxCacao, the Mayan goddess of chocolate. With the holidays coming and the opportunities for chocolate consumption—not to say worship—increasing, it seems the right time to take up this subject. The beginnings of the human race’s relationship with chocolate are shrouded in prerecorded history. There is evidence that our love affair with it began in Mesoamerica as early as 1900 B.C. Mayan legend offers a prayer to the goddess: “O IxCacao, see my tears and come to my aid.” Now that I know it, I am going to repeat it in times of need. And then eat some of her favorite food as part of my rite. Why not? As we say in New York, it couldn’t hurt.

The beginnings of the human race’s relationship with chocolate are shrouded in prerecorded history. There is evidence that our love affair with it began in Mesoamerica as early as 1900 B.C. Mayan legend offers a prayer to the goddess: “O IxCacao, see my tears and come to my aid.” Now that I know it, I am going to repeat it in times of need. And then eat some of her favorite food as part of my rite. Why not? As we say in New York, it couldn’t hurt.

The ancients in Central America believed that chocolate has mystical and healing powers. They drank it. An Aztec myth says Questzalcoatl, their god of agriculture, brought them the cocoa tree from Paradise to give them wisdom and power. They called it “bitter water” and evidently were also the first to combine it with honey and vanilla. Both the Maya and the Aztecs used the drink as part of religious ceremonies. The Maya prescribed chocolate for fevers, coughs, and discomfort during pregnancy.

The cacao bean grows on a tree that started out, in prehistoric times, growing wild in the forests, not only of Central America but also in South America, Africa, and parts of Asia. Its botanical name, Theobroma cacao means “food of the gods.”

Chocolate is big business now, but so it also was in Mayan times. Their cosmology included a god—Ychaua—who was the patron of the cocoa merchants. The Aztecs used two precious forms of currency: gold and cocoa beans. Columbus brought the first beans to Europe, but he experienced them only as a medium of exchange. Funny money! No Europeans knew what to do with them until Moctezuma gave the sacred drink to Cortes. The explorer brought back to Spain everything needed to prepare the drink, but the monks there thought the substance too powerful for the common person. They kept it a secret in their monasteries and served it only to the nobility.

It took an Italian, Antonio Carletti, in the early 1600’s, to bring the drink to the common folk. A century later, chocolate houses were the rage all over Europe, but then in 17th century England and 18th Century France, the places were condemned as hotbeds of sedition and the drink called a dangerous drug.

We owe its ubiquitous availability today to a Dutch chemist named Johannes Van Houten, who figured out how to use a hydraulic press to make cocoa powder, and to a Brit named John Cadbury who emulsified the powder into the first chocolate bars. I love those guys! Chocolate is now world wide. These days, it is also grown outside Central America. In fact, almost half of the current supply comes from Africa, from the Cote D’Ivoire.

I commune with the goddess by taking my chocolate in almost any form available, but I prefer creamy bittersweet bars.  I try to never run out, because I never know when the need for a “fix” might hit me.  Chocolate satisfaction can come in many forms.  For a short time, I found on sale a Haagen Dazs flavor called Mayan Chocolate, bitter-sweet with cinnamon.  I loved it.  But I never find it anymore.  I guess there were not enough of my coreligionists in the neighborhood to make it worth the while of nearby stores to stock it.  The chocolate truffles from our local Li-Lac Chocolates are a huge favorite.  On a recent trip to Philadelphia, my daughter and her husband brought me a box of chocolate figs—sweet dried figs stuffed with truffle cream and coated with dark, dark chocolate.  Taken in very small doses, they lifted my spirits for weeks!  I wonder if they are sold by mail order.  Having described them, I want some NOW!