Chocolate Peppermint Stars Recipes

CHOCOLATE-AND-PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Finely grind peppermint candies in a food processor.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, then vanilla, and beat for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined, about 2 minutes. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut out star shapes using 2 1/2-, 4 1/2-, and 5-inch cookie cutters. Cut a smaller star from the center of each cookie using cookie cutters that are about 1 inch smaller than the larger cutter used. Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart. Bake until slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Fill the center of each cookie with ground peppermints. Bake until candy melts, about 6 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets set on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks, and let cool completely.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Make Cookies:
• Make Buttery Sugar Cookie dough as directed, but reduce the flour to 1 1/3 cups and add the cocoa. Whisk the flour and cocoa together.
• Halve dough and wrap each half in wax paper, shaping each into a flattened rectangle, then store each half in a resealable plastic bag. Chill dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• While oven heats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) between two large sheets of wax paper to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Peel back top sheet of wax paper and cut out as many cookies with cutter as possible. Transfer cookies, as cut, to a lined baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft to remove the cookies, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Gather, reroll, and chill scraps to form more cookies.
• Freeze or chill cut-out cookies on baking sheet until firm before baking.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at time, until edges are a shade darker and centers are set, 9 to 12 minutes. For picture-perfect cookies, use cookie cutters while cookies are hot from the oven to trim edges. (Keep trimmings for snacks.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough. (Cool baking sheets and use fresh parchment between batches.)
• Decorate Cookies:
• Using the offset spatula or a small rubber spatula, spread cooled cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate, then sprinkle with some crushed candy canes.
• Let cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients; beat until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps into ball. Wrap; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops feel firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
• Stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookies in zigzag lines. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Drizzle remaining chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.****

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SQUARES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Place graham crackers in a gallon-sized re-sealable plastic bag. Crush crackers with rolling pin until fine in texture.
• In a bowl, combine crushed graham cracker with melted butter and mix well.
• Line a 9×9 inch (23x23 cm) pan with parchment paper. Fill pan with graham cracker crumbs and pat down to create one even, compressed crust. Place in freezer.
• In a large bowl, combine ingredients for peppermint cream with hand mixer until a thick, uniform cream is formed.
• Remove pan from freezer and layer the peppermint cream on crust in one even layer. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
• Remove pan from freezer and cut the sheet sheet of peppermint cream and graham cracker into 36 squares (i.e. 6 lengthwise cuts and 6 crosswise cuts). Place squares on a metal cooling rack.
• In a small bowl, combine chocolate and coconut oil (the exact amount of coconut oil needed may vary based on the chocolate used). Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is fully melted.
• Top squares with melted chocolate.
• Chill squares in fridge or freezer until ready to eat.
• Enjoy!

PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in crushed candies. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into shapes with a floured 2-1/2-in. star cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, milk and extract; stir until smooth. Tint with food coloring if desired. Spread over cookies.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 inches of paper to hang over the sides.
• Make the shortbread: In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter and process until a smooth dough forms. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake until firm to the touch, and sides of the crust are beginning to pull away from the pan, about 25 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make the filling: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and peppermint extract. Beat until mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Press filling evenly over shortbread. Chill to set the filling for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Use parchment paper overhang to lift the shortbread and peppermint out of the baking pan and onto a cutting board. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares (there should be 36 squares). Place squares on a rack placed over a parchment-lined sheet tray, and let them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 7 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat, add remaining 2 ounces chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
• Add coconut oil, if using, and stir the chocolate until smooth. Spoon 1 teaspoon chocolate on top of a cut peppermint square, using the back of the spoon to spread chocolate to the edges. Be sure to fully cover the top of the square with chocolate. (Leave the sides exposed, though it's O.K. if some of the chocolate drips down.) Repeat with remaining squares.
• Let squares sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SNAPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips. Stir until smooth; cool. In another bowl, beat egg, 2/3 cup sugar, oil, corn syrup and extracts until combined. Beat in melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into peppermint mixture. Fold in candies and remaining chocolate chips., Place remaining sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until tops are cracked and cookies are set, 12-15 minutes. Cool on pans 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SNAPS

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and mix the sugar with the peppermint essence. When the chocolate has melted, cool for 1 min, mix with the sugar, then pour into the tray. Spread to a very thin layer and chill until completely firm. Snap into shards to serve. Perfect as a garnish for puddings or with an after-dinner coffee.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT CRUNCH COOKIE STARS

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or butter the baking sheets.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, dissolved coffee and vanilla extract until blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until the flour is incorporated and the dough holds together. At first the dough will form fine crumbs; then it will come together in large clumps.
• Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a smooth ball. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 large pieces of wax paper and roll it out to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top piece of wax paper. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out cookies. Slide a thin metal spatula under each cookie to loosen it, and place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the tops feel firm and look dull rather than shiny, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the second piece of dough, and then press all of the dough scraps together to form a smooth ball. Repeat the rolling and cutting process.
• For the icing: Dip a fork in the melted white chocolate and drizzle it randomly and generously over the tops of the cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. The candy will stick to the warm chocolate.
• Let the cookies sit until the chocolate is firm. The cookies can be stored between layers of wax paper in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 16 cavities of a 20-cup donut pan with cooking spray.
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt for donuts together in a medium bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
• Put the batter into a piping bag and pipe into the prepared donut pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer donuts to a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
• Whisk powdered sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl. Whisk milk, melted butter, and peppermint extract together in a separate bowl. Pour milk mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth and shiny.
• Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and return to the wire rack. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over the wet glaze. Let sit until glaze hardens, 10 to 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.
• Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool.
• Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours. Decorated cookies are best served the same day.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients; beat until dough holds together. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm enough to roll, at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Set rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 3-inch star-shaped cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps into ball. Wrap; chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until tops feel firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking until all dough is used. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
• Stir chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle chocolate over cookies in zigzag lines. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Drizzle remaining chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT CRINKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix white sugar, cocoa, and vegetable oil together in a bowl. Beat in eggs and peppermint extract. Separately mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; combine with above ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips.
• Cover dough and place in a freezer for 1 hour (or refrigerate for 3 hours or longer.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Take dough out of the freezer and remove by rounded tablespoons. Form into balls with clean hands. Roll each ball in confectioners' sugar and place on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, about 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHOOTING STAR CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and boil the kettle. First, make the chocolate cake. Liberally grease the bundt tin with butter, then dust with flour and shake out the excess. Put the cocoa in a bowl with a pinch of salt, cover with 150ml hot water from the kettle, mix until smooth, then set aside to cool. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold everything together. Stir the soured cream into the cocoa mixture, then add to the other bowl and mix until just combined, then scrape into the prepared tin. Bake for 35 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 15 mins in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the cake is cool, transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and make space for the cake and tray in your freezer. Slice the cake into pieces roughly the thickness of your star cutter, then pull each piece out a little, so there is space around each one. Pop the cake in the freezer for 2 hrs, or overnight.
• When the cake is firmly frozen, lay each slice on its side, keeping them in the same circular pattern, and cut out a star, using the cutter, from the middle of each piece. Leftover cake can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months, ready for making a trifle. Return the cut-out stars to the freezer.
• Now, make the peppermint cake. Grease the same bundt tin and heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each, then add the flour, soured cream and peppermint extract. Give everything a good mix and scrape half the mixture into the bundt tin. Remove the stars from the freezer and line up in a circle on top of the cake mixture (pointy sides up) - make sure there are no gaps and that the stars perfectly line up. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top, easing it around the stars until they are just covered. Bake for 45 mins until risen and golden brown and a skewer poked into the side of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the icing, melt the chocolate in short blasts in the microwave, or in a bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring it occasionally. Set aside to cool a little. In a large bowl, beat the icing sugar and butter until pale and smooth. Add the chocolate and peppermint extract, and mix again until combined. When the cake is completely cool, place on a serving plate, then swirl over the chocolate icing, easing it about halfway down the sides to create a snowy effect. Place the Maltesers on top of the cake. Will keep for up to 3 days in a sealed container.