Peppermint Treats

At the Christmas Brunch I hosted, the ladies got a taste of a couple of my favorite holiday treats, both featuring the Belle of the Christmas-Candy-Ball: Peppermint! I made peppermint bon-bons for munching, and peppermint fudge was featured in my door prize. They are both scrumptious and rich, a perfect compliment to all of your Christmas hoopla. I promised to post the recipes, so here I go...

Peppermint Fudge

This is a no-bake two-layered fudge that's as easy as pie, except easier, because we all know working with pie crust can be a brow-scrunching event! The bottom layer is a rich chocolate, and the top layer is a creamy white with bits of peppermint candy mixed in. It's both delicious and beautiful! These should stored in the refrigerator... if they last long enough to be stored...

Chocolate layer:

Butter for greasing pan (no substitutions)
2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. confectioners sugar
3 Tb. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Peppermint Layer:

2 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 c. crushed peppermint candy

Line the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with foil and grease with butter. In small mixing bowl beat cream cheese. Add in remaining chocolate layer ingredients and blend until combined. This will likely cause you to question if your kitchenmaid mixer will be able to handle the task at hand. It will, but just barely.... ;) Press into prepared pan. Chill for 1 hour. Repeat the same process for the peppermint layer and press on top of the chocolate layer. When chilled and firm enough to work with, remove from pan and cut into one-inch cubes. Then proceed to eat all of the trimmings you cut off around the edges, and enjoy the belly ache. It hurts so good...

*p.s... I omitted the walnuts when I made this. I figured the crushed peppermint gave it enough texture. But you can go nutty if you feel the need... *wink


Peppermint Cream Bon-Bons

All I can say about these little cream-filled chocolates is... YUM!

1 c. butter, no substitutes
3 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tb. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
3 c. Semi sweet chocolate chips for coating

In mixing bowl cream together everything but chocolate until smooth. Chill for an hour. Then, you can either roll the mixture into balls and dip them in chocolate, or paint candy molds with the chocolate and fill will the peppermint cream. Cover with more chocolate and chill until the chocolate is hard. These should also be kept refrigerated. Mmmmm... bon bons... oh la la!

Happy Pepperminting to you, this Advent!

-Tam


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p.s... if you want to take a peek at our brunch, hop over to my blog where I posted some pictures!