Peppermint Meringue Sandwiches With Chocolate Filling Recipes

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES WITH CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; secure corners with masking tape. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22). Set aside.
• Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whiskattachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
• Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
• Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. (If ganache setsbefore using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process.)
• Before serving or mailing, fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of 1 meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues. Transfer to wire racks; let set 30 minutes.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.
• In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula. Store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup of the butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes or until creamy. Add egg and peppermint extract; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Divide dough in half. On 2 sheets of plastic wrap, shape each half into 13x1 1/2-inch log. Wrap tightly; freeze 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Cut each log into 32 (about 1/4-inch) slices. On cookie sheets, place slices 1 inch apart. Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In large bowl, beat remaining 1/3 cup butter and the cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. For each sandwich cookie, spread about 2 teaspoons filling on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press together. Roll sides of sandwich cookies in crushed candies.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250˚ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar and cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form, about 6 minutes. Add the peppermint extract and beat 2 more minutes.
• Using a small pastry brush, paint four 1/4-inch-wide stripes of red gel food coloring inside a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip. Fill with the meringue.
• Pipe 2-inch spirals about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Bake the meringues 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let them dry in the oven, about 2 more hours.

CHOCOLATE CHIP MERINGUES WITH ICE CREAM, PEPPERMINT CANDIES AND CHOCOLATE-MINT SAUCE

Steps:

• For meringues:
• Preheat oven to 225°. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using small bowl or can as guide, trace three 4-inch-diameter circles on parchment on each baking sheet; turn parchment over (circles will show through). Brush parchment with melted butter. Whisk powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in large bowl until foamy and beginning to hold soft peaks. Slowly beat in 1/2 cup sugar; continue beating until whites are stiff and shiny. Fold in powdered sugar mixture, then chocolate. Spoon meringue by generous 1/2 cupfuls into center of each circle. Using back of spoon, spread meringue to edge of circle and indent center to form shallow bowl.
• Bake meringues until crisp, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Place baking sheets on racks; cool completely. (Meringues can be prepared 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• For sauce:
• Bring cream, water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate. Whisk until melted. Remove from heat; stir in extract. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce over low heat before using.)
• Place 1 meringue in center of each plate. Top with scoops of ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate sauce. Sprinkle with chopped candies. Serve immediately.

PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Shape into two 10-1/2-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight., Unwrap dough and cut into 1/8-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 9-11 minutes or until edges are set. Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, milk extract and if desired red food coloring; beat until smooth. Spread on the bottoms of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter with confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Divide dough into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with one disk at a time (keeping the other refrigerated), roll out on lightly floured parchment to a scant 1/8 inch. Cut out 60 rounds total with a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter. Chill and reroll scraps (if dough becomes too soft, freeze 15 minutes). Use a 1/2-inch fluted round cutter to cut out centers of half of rounds. Arrange rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
• Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on sheetsto a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Place chocolate in a heatproofbowl. Heat cream in a smallsaucepan over medium-highuntil just bubbling around edges.Remove from heat; stir in peppermintextract. Pour mixtureover chocolate; let stand 10minutes, then stir until smooth.Let stand, stirring occasionally,until firm enough to spread,about 30 minutes.
• Spread 1 teaspoon filling oneach uncut cookie; top withcut cookies. Sprinkle choppedcandies in window of eachtop cookie. Refrigerate until set,about 20 minutes. Assembledcookies can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT MERINGUE DROPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and peppermint oil together in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time; beat in food coloring if desired, until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Very gently fold in the crushed candy canes and chocolate chips. Drop the meringue by tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until dry, 28 to 33 minutes. Cool the cookies on baking sheet on a rack for 20 minutes before removing from parchment paper.

PEPPERMINT CREAM SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. fluted round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough., In a large bowl, beat butter and extracts until creamy. Beat in confectioners' sugar, alternately with milk, until smooth. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread frosting on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FRENCH PEPPERMINT COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Move rack to the bottom of oven and preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.
• Whisk egg whites and 1/4 cup white sugar in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Whisk cream of tartar and peppermint extract into egg mixture and beat until foamy. Gradually whisk confectioners' sugar into mixture, beating until egg white meringue holds stiff peaks.
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon of meringue per cookie and gently transfer to the prepared baking sheets; use spoon to shape the meringue cookies into football shape with 2 gently pointed ends.
• Bake cookies on bottom rack of the preheated oven until dry on the outside but still slightly soft in the centers, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool completely before removing from baking sheets.
• Melt chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until melted, stirring until smooth. Gradually mix cream into chocolate until mixture is thick but not pasty; stir 1 teaspoon white sugar into chocolate ganache until sugar has dissolved. Dip cookies in ganache. Place dipped cookies atop a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. Let cookies set; refrigerate leftovers.

PEPPERMINT MERINGUE SANDWICHES WITH CHOCOLATE FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a small open-star tip (such as Ateco #22).
• Make meringues: Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint extract.
• Using a new small paintbrush, paint two or three stripes of red gel-paste food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time. Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Meanwhile, make ganache: Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let ganache cool at room temperature, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes, until thick enough to hold its shape, about 45 minutes. (If ganache sets before using, reheat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; repeat the cooling process.)
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco #5) with ganache. Pipe a small amount onto bottom of one meringue. Sandwich with another. Repeat with remaining ganache and meringues. Transfer to wire racks; let set 30 minutes. Cookies can be stored in a single layer in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.
• Use a new small paintbrush to brush two or three evenly spaced stripes of gel-paste food coloring along the length of the inside of a pastry bag fitted with an open-star tip. Fill the bag with meringue, and pipe star shapes onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Each time you refill the bag with meringue, paint new stripes inside.