Ghirardelli Chocolate Peppermint Bark Sandwich Cookies Recipes

GHIRARDELLI HOLIDAY BARK 4 WAYS: PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place 2 chopped chocolate bars in the top pan of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water. (You may also use a glass or metal mixing bowl on top of a saucepan half filled with water.) Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand to cool for 15 minutes.
• Stir remaining 1 bar of chopped chocolate into the melted chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth.
• Stir in 3/4 cup peppermint chunks. Pour mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining peppermint chunks.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the white chocolate on medium power (50 percent) in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals until melted.
• Remove and stir. If chocolate is not melted, return it to the microwave and repeat the heating step, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid scorching.
• Spoon white chocolate mixture into a large self-sealing plastic bag. Snip off one corner; drizzle chocolate over bark.
• Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Use parchment to lift candy; break into pieces. Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

GHIRARDELLI PEPPERMINT BARK BROWNIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing about 1 inch of paper to extend over opposite sides of pan; lightly coat with cooking spray.
• In a 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. Whisk in sugar until grainy. Whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture until just combined. Fold in half the peppermint bark. Pour mixture into the prepared pan; smooth the top.
• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a 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 to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Set cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Place remaining 1/3 cup chocolate baking chips in a medium glass bowl. Warm cream in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let stand for 2 minutes; whisk until smooth.
• Pour over brownies and spread to the edges with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with remaining peppermint bark. Before serving, let stand or refrigerate until glaze sets.

PEPPERMINT-CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Decorating suggestion: crushed candy canes or peppermint candies; white, red and green sprinkles; or red and green decorating sugar
• Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop
• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, knead together the cookie dough and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Knead together any scraps of dough and roll out again. Continue to cut out pastry circles until there are 24 pieces in total. Place the dough circles on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reserve 1 parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• In a microwavable glass or ceramic bowl, combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and cream. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir the mixture until smooth. Whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure, place the chocolate mixture in the center of the flat side of 12 of the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently squeeze to distribute the filling evenly. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until the filling has set, about 25 minutes.
• In a microwavable glass or ceramic bowl, combine remaining chocolate chips and oil. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir the mixture until smooth. Spread the top of each cookie with the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight plastic container.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl until combined.
• Combine butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract and mix until thoroughly combined. Mix in half of the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in peppermint bark pieces, pecans, and crushed candy cane pieces.
• Place 1 tablespoon-sized balls of dough 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops of cookies just begin to set, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the dough: Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in the 3/4 cup melted and cooled chocolate chips. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.
• OPTION 1: Cookie cutters
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Form the dough into two 5 inch discs. Place a disc on a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle flour on top and use rolling pin to roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into 1 1/2 inch circles or star shapes. Repeat with the second disc. After you roll out the second disc combine scraps from each and re-roll.
• Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, switching the trays half way through if you are baking more than one tray at a time. Cool to room temperature.
• OPTION 2: Roll and cut dough
• Divide the dough in half. Place half on a piece of floured parchment paper. With your hands, gently shape into a 1 1/2 inch wide log. (You can put a little flour on your hands if needed.) Wrap the parchment paper around the log and gently roll the parchment paper and log together to make the log round. Repeat with the other log and a second piece of parchment paper. Refrigerate logs until hard, about 1 hour. (You want it hard enough so when you slice it your cookies stay round and don't get squished on one side.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice the dough 1/4 inch thick. Place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, switching the trays half way through if you are baking more than one tray at a time. Cool to room temperature.
• Assemble the sandwiches: Once cookies have cooled, brush the undersides of each with the remaining melted chocolate. Place a peppermint square on top of half the cookies. Place a second cookie, melted chocolate side down on top making a sandwich. Let the chocolate harden, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.