Peppermint Stick Spritz Recipes

PEPPERMINT SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and egg and mix until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
• Remove a third of the dough to a flour-dusted surface and reserve. Add the candy canes to the dough left in the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Add the reserved dough back to the mixer bowl and add enough red gel food coloring until it is a vibrant red like a fire truck, about 10 drops. Mix on low until the dough is completely red. Remove to a flour-dusted surface and fold with your hands until it comes together.
• Tear off 2 Ping-Pong ball-size pieces of the white dough and add to the barrel of a cookie press; add 1 marble-size piece of the red dough. Repeat this pattern until the barrel is filled (you will not use all of the dough). Place a wreath disc onto the cookie press barrel according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press the cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and set aside. Repeat 2 more times in the same pattern with the remaining dough.
• Bake 2 of the batches until the cookies are firm but not yet browning on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Bake the third batch and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

PEPPERMINT STICK ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale yellow. While whisking, slowly add the cream and the milk. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon or about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to cool at room temperature. Stir in the peppermint extract. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Set a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan in the freezer to chill.
• If adding the chocolate chunks, stir together the chocolate and vegetable oil and set aside. Churn the ice cream mixture in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of processing, add the candy cane pieces and very slowly drizzle in the chocolate mixture. (If added too quickly, the chocolate will clump; when the ice cream has been fully churned, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut any pieces that are too large.) Transfer the ice cream to the prepared loaf pan, cover well with plastic wrap and freeze until firm.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT SPRITZ

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325˚. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
• Fit a cookie press with a wreath disk; fill with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press cookies 1 inch apart onto 2 unlined baking sheets.
• Bake the cookies, 1 pan at a time, until crisp and set around the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Immediately remove the cookies to a rack using an offset spatula and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
• Once the cookies have cooled, make the icing: Combine the chocolate, heavy cream and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the peppermint extract; let cool 5 minutes.
• Transfer the icing to a resealable plastic bag, snip off a corner and drizzle over the cookies. Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let set, about 30 minutes.

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.

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.

SOFT PEPPERMINT SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Tint 1 portion with food coloring. Using a cookie press fitted with a disk of your choice, press dough 1 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with colored sugar., Bake until edges are light golden, 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Freeze cooled cookies in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving.

PEPPERMINT-SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Glaze can be stored at room temperature, with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface, up to 3 days; whisk before using. (Makes 2 cups.)
• Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolk, flour, salt, peppermint extract, and milk; beat to combine.
• Fill a cookie press with dough and fit with a wreath disk. Press cookies directly onto unlined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just golden on edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Working in batches, add a drop of food coloring to a small amount of glaze (about 1/4 cup); use a toothpick to swirl a tiny bit. Dip tops of cookies in glaze, then turn glaze-sides up and place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips to set. (As you dip, colors will become more combined and no longer look like swirls; change to fresh glaze at this point.) For additional "swirls," dip a toothpick in red glaze and drizzle over cookies. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

PEPPERMINT-STICK SPRITZ

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
• Beat in sugar and baking powder until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
• Beat in egg and peppermint extract until combined.
• Beat in as much of flour as you can with the mixer.
• Stir in any remaining flour.
• Pack un-chilled dough into cookie press fitted with an ½ inch star plate.
• Force dough through press to form 3 ½ to 4 inch long sticks about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• If desired, bend into candy-cane shapes.
• Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown.
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
• In a small heavy saucepan, melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring frequently.
• Dip one end of each stick into melted white chocolate, letting excess drip off.
• Place on waxed paper.
• Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.
• Let stand until set.
• To store: Place cookies in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container.
• Store at room temp for up to 3 days.