Chocolate Mint Pixies

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan over low heat, or in a double boiler, melt together chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, mix together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in peppermint flavoring and cooled chocolate mixture. On low speed, add half of flour mixture. Slowly pour in milk. Finish with remaining flour mixture. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you don’t have time for the chilling step, the cookies will spread and be flatter.

Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl. Remove batter from refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion and roll dough into 1-1/2 inch diameter balls. Roll dough balls in powdered sugar to coat. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cookies should still look a little moist in the center so that they retain their softness. Place cookies on a rack to cool.

Grasshopper Bars

chocolate topping

make the brownie layer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (use cocoa powder for a cleaner look) an 11×17-inch baking pan with a rim. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick. Add cocoa, flour and peppermint extract until just combined. Then stir in butter. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch these carefully, as you do not want to overbake. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. Or, speed up the process by quickly cooling them in the fridge or freezer.

make the peppermint frosting

In a stand mixer, cream powdered sugar with butter and cream cheese, if using. Add in peppermint and food coloring. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a spreading consistency is reached. With a spatula, spread frosting over brownie/cake portion of bars. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Hardening the frosting makes spreading the chocolate topping easier.

make the chocolate topping

Melt butter and chocolate over a double boiler or in a microwave. I prefer the results from the stovetop method. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by simply placing a metal bowl over a saucepan filled with a little water. As the chocolate melts, whisk the mixture to remove any lumps. Using a pastry or silicone brush, spread topping over frosting. Refrigerate to harden. Cut into 1×2-inch bars.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Using vegetable shortening, grease a 9×13 inch pan. Put the gelatin in a small bowl. Add 7 tablespoons of cold water. Let the gelatin sit until it becomes spongy.

In a medium saucepan stir together the sugar, 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1/2 cup of water. Set aside.

In a large bowl add the rest of the corn syrup. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, begin to whisk the syrup on low speed. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Stir the gelatin to ensure it is completely melted. Then slowly add the gelatin to the corn syrup mixture. Keep mixer on low speed.

Begin to heat the sugar mixture on the stovetop on medium-high heat. Stir until it begins to boil. Use a candy thermometer to watch the temperature. When the thermometer reaches 235 to 240 degrees F, remove the saucepan from the heat. Turn the mixer up to medium for one minute, then slowly add the sugar mixture. Begin mixing on medium-high for 5 minutes. Add the peppermint extract and salt. Mix on high for one minute. The mixture will be very fluffy.

Crush the peppermint candy canes, to create peppermint dust. Set aside in a small bowl.

Transfer the marshmallows to the 9×13 pan using a spatula. The mixture will be sticky and stringy. Spread the marshmallow mixture evenly in the pan. Then sprinkle the top with peppermint dust. Let it sit for 6 hours or more.

Sprinkle a countertop surface with a 1/4 of the peppermint dust. Loosen the marshmallows from the pan using a knife or spatula. Grab a corner of the marshmallows with your hands and slowly remove the marshmallow sheet out of the pan and place on the dusted surface. Using a large knife dusted with peppermint dust or confectioners’ sugar, cut the marshmallows in a 6-by-8 grid (or smaller if you prefer). Roll each marshmallow in peppermint dust. Then enjoy!

I also made some additional flavors. For vanilla marshmallows, use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract instead of 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Use confectioners’ sugar to dust the tops and to roll the marshmallows. For chocolate marshmallows melt 3 ounces of dark chocolate and stir in 2-1/2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon. Fold in the chocolate after the marshmallow has been mixed before spreading in pan.