PEPPERMINT MOCHA LATTE: National Peppermint Latte Day!

Brr...it's cold out there! A perfect time for a Peppermint Mocha Latte to celebrate National Peppermint Latte Day! Here's an easy and delicious recipe. Bookmark it for the holidays, too! Don't have time? Starbucks sells Peppermint Mocha Caffe Latte in cans (limited holiday edition). Following is the Copycat Starbucks recipe that appeared in Parade Magazine.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA LATTE

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup brewed coffee
2 Tbsp chopped chocolate, milk or dark
1 tsp sugar, honey, or agave
1/8-1/4 tsp peppermint extract, NOT mint extract
Aerosol whipped topping
Crushed up candy canes or peppermint candies and mini-chocolate chips

Directions
In small saucepan, heat milk, coffee, sugar, and chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Simmer for 1 minute. Add peppermint extract. Stir and simmer for a minute more. Pour into mug. Top with whipped cream and crushed peppermints.
Serves 1.

CHOCOLATE FRIED PIE: National Fried Pie Day!

Who doesn't love Pie? Fried Pie? Oh, yes.. and Chocolate Fried Pie? Be still my heart ... literally. Chocolate Fried Hand Pies! What a great way to celebrate Fried Pie Day!

CHOCOLATE FRIED PIE!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Pudding (filling) 
1/2 cup Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/8 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups half & half
2 tsp pure vanilla
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Buttermilk Crust 
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
 2/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Directions:

Chocolate Pudding Filling 
In medium saucepan, mix cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt, whisk well. Gradually add milk and half & half to dry ingredients in saucepan. Whisk until smooth and well blended. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute, remove from heat.
Add butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips.
Whisk until chocolate and butter is melted, pour into bowel and place plastic wrap pressed onto surface to prevent skin and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Pie Dough/Crust
Mix all dry ingredients and cut in the shortening. Beat egg with buttermilk and add in all at once. Stir just enough to form a ball. If it feels like you are forcing it into ball, you made need to add 1 more tablespoon of water. Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick, cut your shapes with cookie cutters (heart shapes for Valentine's Day?). Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooled pudding, brush water around edge of bottom dough. Gently stretch top over bottom, press edges down with fingers and crimp with fork.
Fry for about 1-1/2 minutes on each side in hot oil.
If using a deep fryer, total frying time is about 3 to 3-1/2 minutes at 365.
If you bake, brush tops with a beaten egg or milk & bake for 20-22 minutes at 425.

AUNT SYLVIA'S BROWNIES: Retro Recipe for Killer Brownies!

This is a repost from 2009, but I remember Aunt Sylvia's Brownies from the 1950s. They were so rich and delicious! 

***

2009: I was rummaging through old recipes the other day looking for the Thanksgiving Corn Pudding Recipe (doesn't contain chocolate), and I came across an envelope labeled Recipes in my mother's handwriting. There were several hand-written recipes, some in my Mother's writing, some in mine (when I was younger when my penmanship was better), and some I wasn't sure about. However, in the envelope was the elusive recipe for my Aunt Sylvia's Brownies. I read through the recipe, and it just seems so simple, yet her brownies were always the BEST! Chewy, not cakey, and crunchy on the top. Yum.

My Aunt Sylvia, my Father's sister, lived about 100 miles from us, and we visited about once a month. I can still see her in her dress, high heels and apron pulling these brownies out of the oven in her state of the art 1950s kitchen in her mid-century modern ranch house -- a brand new custom-designed ranch home at the time. The family room and sun room had beautiful knotty pine panelling, the kitchen was green (not avocado but dark green) with a fancy wrought iron glass table top kitchen set. Maybe I'm confused on the details of that house on Green Street, but I can still remember the taste of those sensational brownies. They were a real treat!

AUNT SYLVIA'S BROWNIES

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
{cream together}
4 eggs
1 cup Flour
2 tsp vanilla
4 sq chocolate (unsweetened) melted (probably Baker's?)
1 cup Walnuts (optional)

There was no direction about mixing the rest together, but I think that was obvious.
The only other direction was: Pour in Buttered Pan for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees

These are Killer Brownies!

PEPPERMINT BARK BROWNIES: National Peppermint Bark Day!

December 1 is Peppermint Bark Day. Make some Peppermint Bark today or buy a box for the holidays! But maybe you want to do more with your Peppermint Bark? The Ghirardelli Chocolate site has two great recipes for one of my favorite holiday treats: Peppermint Bark Brownies. These are great to serve or make as gifts. I like to give gifts in unique containers, and old tins are my gift giving choice. I collect tins all year at the Flea Market, the White Elephant Sale and Estate Sales.. and my own garage. You never know what you'll find where.

I'm not adverse to using mixes, and I like Ghirardelli Chocolate. The first recipe uses their packaged Double Chocolate Brownie mix. Of course, you can always use your own brownie recipe and different white chocolate and follow the same steps. The second recipe is a from-scratch brownie-mix and uses Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark or Peppermint Bark Squares. Both are great! 

And, of course, you can use your own Peppermint Bark you made for Santa and Friends!

I. Peppermint Bark Brownies

Brownies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1- 20 oz package or 1 pouch Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

Peppermint Topping:
2 cups (12 oz) Ghirardelli Classic White Chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup crushed peppermint candy (about 16 hard, round candies)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.

For Brownie: 
In medium bowl, blend together oil, water, and egg.
Add brownie mix and stir until moistened.
Spoon batter into lightly greased 13x9x2-inch pan.
Bake 24-26 minutes.
Let brownies cool completely.

For Peppermint Topping: 
Place white chips and vegetable oil in small bowl.
Microwave at 50% power for approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
Spread melted white chocolate over cooled brownie.
Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. Let topping set before cutting.

II. Peppermint Bark Brownies

Ingredients 
Cooking spray
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup Ghirardelli 100% Unsweetened Ground Cocoa
1 2/3 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips, divided
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (3.5-ounce) Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate bar, coarsely chopped, divided (or 16 Peppermint Bark Squares, coarsely chopped, divided)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing about inch of paper to extend over opposite sides of pan; lightly coat with cooking spray.
In microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter and 1-1/3 cups chocolate baking chips on medium (50% power) for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds , until melted and combined, about 2 minutes total. Whisk in sugar (mixture will look grainy). Whisk in eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
In separate bowl whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture until just combined. Fold in half of peppermint bark.
Pour mixture into prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs, 25 to 30 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
Lift brownies from pan using parchment as handles and transfer brownies to rack to cool completely.
Place brownies on cooling rack set over rimmed baking sheet.
Place remaining 1/3 cup chocolate baking chips in medium glass bowl. Warm cream in small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate baking chips. Let stand for 2 minutes; whisk until smooth. Pour over brownies and spread to edges with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with remaining peppermint bark.
Before serving, let stand, or refrigerate, until glaze sets.