Fudgy Peppermint Stick Torte Recipes

FUDGY PEPPERMINT STICK TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition., Transfer to four greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and extract; beat until soft peaks form. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped cream, then 3/4 cup crushed candies., Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, sprinkle remaining candies over the top.

QUICK AND EASY PEPPERMINT FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and stir until melted and smooth. Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface. Sprinkle on the crushed candies. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Lift the foil out of the pan and peel off the fudge. Cut into small squares.

PEPPERMINT-FUDGE COOKIE STICKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix cookie mix, softened butter, water and egg with spoon until dough forms. Divide dough in half; place on ungreased large cookie sheet. Press each into 14x2 1/2-inch rectangle. (If dough is sticky, use floured fingers.)
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges and center are set. Cool 1 minute; cut crosswise into 1-inch wide slices with sharp knife, cleaning knife blade, as needed. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Move slices from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 30 seconds. Stir; continue to microwave in 15-second increments until mixture can be stirred smooth.
• Working with one cookie slice at a time, hold center of cookie stick and carefully dip one end at an angle into melted chocolate; slide bottom of slice on edge of bowl to remove excess. Place on waxed paper. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Repeat with remaining cookie slices. If chocolate has cooled too much, reheat. Let stand about 4 hours or until chocolate is set. Store covered in airtight container in single layer.

PEPPERMINT STICKS

Steps:

• Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, and set aside. Place sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan. Cover; bring to a boil. Remove lid, and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until syrup registers 305 degrees (hard-crack stage) on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully stir in lemon juice, extract, and food coloring.
• Pour hot syrup onto prepared baking sheet, being careful not to touch syrup. Using a metal spatula coated with cooking spray, fold edges toward the middle (this will help cool the syrup). When it is cool enough to handle but still quite warm, using plastic gloves, strech and pull candy, folding it over onto itself before pulling again, until it is opaque and just starting to firm up, about 10 minutes.
• Immediately pull off pieces to form long pencil-thin ropes. Working quickly, cut into 7-inch lengths with a pair of kitchen scissors. Continue pulling until all candy is used or is no longer pliable.
• Temper chocolate: Heat 2/3 of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water until chocolate registers 118 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat, and add the remaining chocolate; stir with a rubber spatula (avoid using a wooden spoon, which can impart other flavors) until it cools to 84 degrees. Remove any unmelted pieces, and discard. Return bowl to pan, and stir until chocolate reaches 88 to 90 degrees.
• Dip top 3 inches of each pepperment stick in the chocolate, if desired. Allow excess to drip off; set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let harden.

FUDGY PEPPERMINT TRUFFLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave filling ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 40 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave 10 to 20 seconds longer. Set aside.
• In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spoon half of batter into pan; spread evenly.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately drop spoonfuls of filling over batter, keeping filling away from sides of pan and pressing down lightly. Carefully spoon remaining batter over top; spread evenly. Bake 42 to 47 minutes longer or until toothpick inserted near center comes out almost clean and cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen cake with knife around center and edges of pan. Turn cake upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the milk with whisk until smooth, adding additional milk until of desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

ALL-AMERICAN PEPPERMINT STICK TORTE WITH FUDGE TOPPING

Steps:

• For crust:
• Finely grind cookies and sugar in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Place in freezer.
• For filling:
• Grind candies in processor, leaving some small pieces. Whisk yolks, sugar and water in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 170°F, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add half of ground candies and whisk until melted. Let mixture stand until cool, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining candy and peppermint extract.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold cream into yolk mixture. Spoon mixture into crust; smooth top. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For sauce:
• Bring 1 cup cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm and slightly thickened, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon 1 cup sauce over frozen filling, spreading to edges. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and keep torte frozen. Cover remaining sauce and refrigerate.)
• Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring frequently. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen torte. Release pan sides. Transfer torte to platter.
• Beat remaining 1 cup cream in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around top edge of torte. Place candies between rosettes. Serve with warm sauce.

HOT FUDGE PEPPERMINT STICK SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan bring the cream to a boil with the butter, add the brown sugar, and simmer the mixture, stirring, until the brown sugar is dissolved. Add the chocolate and the salt and heat the mixture over low heat, whisking, until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the peppermint candy and serve the sauce warm over ice cream.

PEPPERMINT STICK DESSERT

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine crushed candy and cream. Cook over low heat until candy is melted, stirring occasionally. , In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 1 minute. Stir into hot peppermint mixture until dissolved. Refrigerate until mixture begins to set, about 20 minutes. Fold in whipped cream., Crush 3 chocolate wafers; set aside for garnish. Line a 1-1/2-qt. serving bowl with 12 wafers. Top with half of the peppermint mixture. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with chocolate crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. If desired, sprinkle with additional crushed peppermint candy just before serving.