Easy Chocolate Brownies With Peppermint Bark

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Christmas is a time to simplify, at least when it comes to baking.  Let's face it, we have the front door to decorate, the tree to pick out and trim, all the sales, virtual and otherwise, to hit before everything is gone, presents to buy and wrap, rooms to decorate, silver to polish, and on and on.  Some of us like to bake goodies to have around the house when guests drop in or to wrap and send to family and friends.  The whole process can take up to Spring if you are not careful and pace yourself. Remember you have Christmas dinner to host and that's when you really want to shine. Save yourself for that.  That's the main event and what all of us really look forward to.

I make tons of these every year for the holidays.  They are festive, yummy and, no matter the age, our family and guests really enjoy them .  They travel well so they are perfect for packaging and they make excellent hostess gifts. If you are having a holiday party, these are a great addition to the dessert table;  AND if you are having weekend guests put some of these in a box or on a plate next to their bedside table.  You couldn't ask for more!

The original recipe is simple enough and you can go that route if you want.  Better still, the Ghirardelli mix is quite good so why not save time.  Either way, you will be pleased with the results.

Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint Bark Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
1 ¹/₂ sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¹/₄ teaspoon salt
¹/₂ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
¹/₂ teaspoon baking powder

8 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark SQUARES™ chocolates, chopped into large chunks (for the brownies)

18 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark SQUARES™ chocolates, broken in to large chunks (about 8 pieces per square) (for the finishing)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil and grease with pan spray.

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a gentle simmer. Put the 60% chips and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over (but not touching) the simmering water. Stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the better is melted and both ingredients are completely combined. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the warm water.

 Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk together gently. With a spatula, fold in the flour. Immediately pour ½ the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Next, sprinkle the chopped peppermint bark over the batter and then pour the remaining batter over this. Spread evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. The center should be fudgy but not dry. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Place Peppermint Bark chunks on top of warm brownies and allow them to soften for 1 minute. Using a spatula, gently swirl the melting Peppermint Bark to create swirls of melted chocolate.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Trim the 4 edges of the brownies by 1/4 inch. And cut into 18 squares.

My Easy version:

1 Box Ghirardelli's Triple Chocolate Brownies
1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
16 Perppermint Bark Squares
Crushed Peppermint Candy

I used a 9x9 square pan (glass)

Follow the directions on the box .  Add a teaspoon of the peppermint extract to the batter.  Cook as directed.

With the brownies still hot from the oven lay the peppermint squares side by side and touching on top so the will melt.  Place back in the oven for a minute or two until almost melted.  Take out and swirl with spatula or tooth pick.  Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy on top. Wait until cooled to cut.

Trim the 4 edges of the brownies by 1/4 inch. And cut into 16 squares.

Notes: If you lay the squares whole instead of broken up, they take about 4 minutes to melt in the oven.  If you go that route, take brownies out about 5 minutes before they are done so they won't over cook. 

Original Recipe from Ghirardelli
This post originally appeared on my blog My Kitchen By The Lake December 2013

Christmas Baking - Cocktail Cheese Biscuits

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Lindaraxa's Christmas kitchen was hopping today and it was the perfect day for it...rainy and yucky to do anything but stay inside and vegetate.  I chose instead to start getting some of my presents ready, particularly the ones that are going out of town.

I baked half of the cocktail cheese biscuits and one batch of the Peppermint Bark Brownies as I am still experimenting with the latter.  I have so many to make I have decided to take a short cut this year and make the recipe I will be posting in the country blog.  The roasted pecans and the gingerbread men are on the docket for tomorrow.  I just might make my special mustard this weekend too but that one stays at home with maybe a tad for a very special friend.  It can be a particularly expensive proposition if you make it with the right ingredients!

I got different size Christmas tin boxes,  already half price, at Hobby Lobby.

Cocktail Cheese Biscuits

1 stick of butter, cut into pieces

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup of flour ( I use King Arthur's)

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. cayenne (red) pepper or paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In the mixer with paddle attachment combine butter and cheese.  Add the mustard powder, salt and red pepper to the cup of flour.  Add the flour mix to the butter/cheese. Mix until it comes to a ball. Remove and shape into a log about an inch and a half in diameter.  If you are going to bake right away, put the dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden so it will be easier to slice.  Slice in 1/4 inch thick slices, lay them in a baking pan slightly apart and bake for about 17 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.  Enjoy!

They will darken and crisp up when they cool.

Note.  Use really good cheese and grate it yourself.  Do not use the ready grated variety! Red pepper is the way to go.

This recipe has been adapted from 300 Years of Carolina Cooking

You might also want to try Cocktail Pecan Cheese Wafers in the lake blog

Chocolate Mint Squares

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Right around this time during the holidays  I start thinking about gifts for those friends and acquaintances who have been particularly nice to me or my family during the year. Just like social invitations, kindnesses and favors should be acknowledged or reciprocated in one way or another and what better time to do it than Christmastime. Whether you send a gift or a personal handwritten card, the idea is to say thank you to a very special person in a very special way.

This year, unlike others, I have my share of people who have been most generous and kind with their friendship or with their time. There is no way I can repay what each has done for me, monetarily or otherwise, but there is something I know all of them will enjoy and that is a batch of homemade cookies! Let's face it, home made anything is the new luxury for people who do not cook and that is about 90% of the population these days.  If you want to put it in the context of food, home made goodies may just be the new caviar!

This weekend is the big bake off and both my daughter and I will be busy baking and packing. A couple of our friends are out of town so boxes will have to be carefully packed to ensure the cookies arrive in one piece. We have learned from experience that some cookies travel better than others so selecting the right recipe is important. Gingerbread men are always the most popular but, unfortunately, they have been known to arrive with their heads or legs cut off and will have to stay local. On the other hand, bars and clusters make it alright and will definitely be included in the final selection. So does my lemon pound cake and cocktail cheese biscuits.

This recipe from King Arthur has made the finals and is perfect for packing and mailing.    It combines mint and chocolate in a dense, rich bar, made festive by a layer of white icing offset by a final drizzle of dark, bitter chocolate. What more could you ask for?

So,  if you are looking for something special to give to a  friend or to the person who has everything in your Christmas list homemade cookies may be your best bet! 

Chocolate Mint Squares

Ingredients:
   

Dough
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter or margarine
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (2 1/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts or chopped pecans, optional
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*

Frosting
2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) melted butter
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or peppermint oil*
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

Glaze
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Garnish
1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

*Peppermint oils or extracts may vary in strength; add them judiciously, tasting as you go.

Directions:

Dough: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, salt and eggs. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, then the flour, nuts and peppermint, mixing till well-blended.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 9-inch pan. Bake the squares in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and cool to room temperature.

Frosting: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter or margarine, peppermint and milk. Spread the frosting over the cooled squares in a thin layer.

Glaze: In a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt together the chocolate and butter or margarine. Drizzle this over the frosted squares, and sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candy. Refrigerate the squares till they're well-chilled. To serve, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares.

Yield: About 36 small squares.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour 

Christmas Gifts For The Cook In Your Life

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Here are some of the cookware and cooking utensils that I find every cook should have in his or her arsenal.  Granted, some of them are a bit expensive but that is why they are on the list as they would bring tears of joy and appreciation to any cook's Christmas morning.  Others make for great stocking stuffers.



Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven

I use this for stews, roasts, beans, fabadas, you name it..couldn't live without one.  The best investment.

 


Grill Tray

I have been hinting at one of these forever.  You can make so many things with this on the grill!



Shun Dual Density Utility Knife


The Japanese knives are to die for. If you only have one knife make it one of these!






Breville Panini Press

 Great for sandwiches, especially Cuban sandwiches and Panini.  Use it all the time!

 



Pizza Stone

Pizza is not difficult to make, it's the crust that you have to get right!

 



Honeycomb Silicone Pot Holders

The best!




Salt Keeper


Practical and Pretty!