Peppermint Patty Drinks: Add Alcohol

76 years ago today, Prohibition was officially repealed in the U.S. with the ratification of the 21st amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So today's the perfect day to continue my Chocolate Peppermint Bark/Cookie/Ice Cream week with a hit of alcohol. I love Alcoholic Peppermint Patty Drinks. Here are a few ideas. As always, easy and delicious.

Peppermint Patty Hot Chocolate Cocktail 1 oz peppermint schnapps
1/2 oz dark crème de cacao
1 tsp crème de menthe
hot chocolate (the best quality chocolate)* (fill the mug)
whipped cream
Garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles and a candycane

Pour the liqueurs into a glass mug.
Fill with hot chocolate.
Top with whipped cream.
Garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.

Chocolate Peppermintini

2 1/2 ounces chilled vodka
1/2 ounce chilled peppermint schnapps
1/2 ounce chilled white Creme de Cacao (or Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur)
Junior mints

Mix cold liquor together and shake with ice.
Strain into a martini glass.
Drop a few Junior Mints into the bottom of the glass or garnish the rim with crushed candycanes

Optional: I've used Godiva chocolate liqueur in place of the creme de cacao, and I've also used Chocolate vodka in place of both the vodka and Creme de Cacao. Just different. I'm not a stickler for proportions.

Peppermint Patty on the Rocks

1 oz peppermint schnapps
1 oz dark crème de cacao
2 oz cream

Pour peppermint schnapps, crème de cacao and cream in an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.
Shake by placing a mixing tin over the glass and give it a good shake.

Looking for other drinks to celebrate the repeal of prohibition? Check out DrinkoftheWeek.com

Photo: Candy Cane Martini Glasses from Artland

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwiches

I love ice-cream sandwiches, and I couldn't get over how much those Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies I wrote about yesterday looked like an Ice-Cream sandwich, so I thought I'd try making one. Here are a few variations based on my original ice-cream sandwich recipe.

Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the holidays and to continue the Chocolate Peppermint theme, take 6 big Chocolate Chunky Cookies (Pepperidge Farm Brownie is what I use, but any big firm chocolate cookie will work).
Lay out 6 cookies, flat side up.
Scoop slightly softened peppermint ice-cream onto the cookies.
Using a butter knife spread the ice cream to the edge.
Cover with another cookie, flat side down.
Spread smashed pieces of candy canes on a plate.
Roll the sides of the sandwich in the candy cane pieces until covered.
Wrap each sandwich and freeze.

Peppermint ice cream seems to be seasonal these days. When I grew up it was a year-round flavor. On long turnpike trips, my family would stop at the Howard Johnson's, and I would order Peppermint Ice Cream. It was the reward, I guess, for not fighting with my sister. Peppermint was my favorite. I know, a big surprise for a chocoholic. Maybe I developed the love of chocolate later?

For the ice-cream in the ice-cream sandwiches, Haagen-Dazs has a Peppermint Bark Ice Cream that's a rich white chocolate ice cream blended with crunchy dark and white chocolate peppermint bark and peppermint candy pieces. It's fabulous! Available September through December, so get some in the freezer now.

Baskin-Robbins has Peppermint as a flavor of the month. Peppermint Ice Cream with pieces of pink peppermint candy.

Dreyer's has a silky cool Peppermint ice cream mixed with pieces of peppermint candy. I think Edy's is the name of the same brand in other areas of the U.S.

Ben & Jerry's used to have Peppermint Schtick. It's a retired flavor, but you can always send them an email and ask for its return.

Check out your favorite local ice cream shop for Peppermint ice-cream. I bet they'll have some yummy ones. It's the season. Enjoy!

Two Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Recipes: Bring on the Bark

So keeping with the Chocolate and Peppermint theme, I came across a fabulous recipe in the latest hardcopy issue of Sunset Magazine (and available online). This recipe uses their Chocolate Decadence Cookie recipe that you follow through step 1. Continue with step 2, using your palm to press dough balls into 1/4-in.-thick rounds. Bake as directed and let cool.

Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cookies

In a bowl, mix 3 cups powdered sugar, 4 tbsp. milk, and 3/4 tsp. peppermint extract.
Spread 1 heaping tsp. peppermint icing onto the flat side of 1 cookie.
Top with flat side of a second cookie to form a sandwich, pressing together to squeeze filling to the edge. Roll edge of cookie in crushed and sifted candy canes.

I also found an amazing recipe for Peppermint Bark Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe posted by Garrett McCord on Simply Recipes. For this recipe, you can purchase peppermint bark or make your own.

1 cup of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup of peppermint bark, broken into little chip size pieces

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 Cream the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at medium speed or until well incorporated and light in color.
3 Add the egg and the vanilla extract until well incorporated, about a minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl halfway through.
4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly, and beating at medium speed, stopping once all of it is incorporated (do not overmix).
5 Fold in the peppermint bark chips.
6 Take small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into one inch sized balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for -12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Photo: Leigh Beisch; food styling by Dan Becker

Peppermint Bark Candy to Buy

As I mentioned yesterday, there's nothing like peppermint and chocolate to welcome the holidays. Here's a link to two easy recipes, but if you don't want to make your own, there are several great brands out there that are delicious.

Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark. This confection is made with custom-blended Guittard premium chocolate and natural oil of peppermint. Starts with melted semisweet chocolate then a layer of white chocolate. Bark is finished with crisp handmade peppermint candy bits. What I love about this is the great reusable red tin with barking Dalmatians.

New this year are the Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark Cookies. These are chocolate wafers covered in Guittard white chocolate infused with peppermint oil and sprinkled with peppermint candy.

Williams Sonoma also offers Peppermint Snaps, Peppermint Cremes and Peppermint North Poles.

Trader Joe's also makes a good Peppermint Bark. Their candy is pretty heavy and all natural. High quality ingredients and great packaging, and less expensive than some other brands.

Dove has new Peppermint Bark Promises this year. The candy comes in a bag easily available at your local drugstore. Each piece is individually wrapped in a festive foil wrapper. Not only is it a delicious bark candy, but there are special holiday tips on the wrappers from Martha Stewart. This is a variation on Peppermint Bark. There's a chocolate base with white chocolate top with bits of red and white peppermint candies mixed in the white chocolate. Interesting the dark chocolate (not all that dark) melts faster than the white. I really liked these. This is also available in traditional Bark.

Ghirardelli has their Limited Edition Ghirardelli Holiday Squares. I love the Peppermint Bark Squares and have a few stashed in my desk this time of year. Basically a milk chocolate base covered with minty white chocolate filled with crunchies. I'm not convinced the crunchies are pieces of candy cane, but they add great texture to this candy treat.

Haven't tried it yet, but Crate & Barrel has a Peppermint Bark with a dark "fudge" and sweet white chocolate "fudge" that comes in a red metallic tin with hinged lid so it can be reused.

What's your favorite?