All Peppermint Errrywhere

I'm a sucker for peppermint. I'm serious. I have a problem. In the last week I have made Chocolate Brownie Peppermint Coated Cake Pops, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles, Peppermint Bark, and Peppermint Ice Cream. My excuse is that its christmas time and "normal" to spend all day making sweets. Whatever the reason, here are the recipes. I'm gonna go watch Elf now :)

Dark Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies:

Honestly these are the best cookies I have ever made. Ever. They taste like tiny bites of minty chocolatey heaven.

• 3/4 cup Butter
• 1 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 bars Green and Black's Dark Chocolate Mint
• 2ish cup Powdered Sugar

    Method

1. Beat together the butter and sugar
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time
3. Mix in the cocoa powder and flour
4. Chop of the chocolate bars (I had them in all different sizes, although it does make it easier to have smaller pieces when the cookies are baking)
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 (175 Celsius)
6. Try not to eat 10 at a time...seriously these are too good 

Brownie Peppermint Cake Pops

• 1 Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 Jar of Chocolate Frosting
• 3 Packets of Wilton Candy Melts
• 1 Box of Candy Canes
• Lollipop Sticks

    Method

1. Bake the cake as instructed
2. Once the cake is baked, let cool completely. 
3. Put cake into large bowl and mix in the icing completely (getting the right consistency is kind of a judgement call here, i usually use a little bit more than half of the frosting)
4. Roll the cake icing mixture into compact balls, place on cookie sheet with parchment paper and put into the freezer for about an hour 
5. While the balls are in the freezer, put all the candy canes into a bag and mash them up 
6. After an hour, take out the balls and stick a lollipop stick into each one. 
7. Melt the candy melts according to the package (make sure not to overheat them, will loose the melted consistency), and dip each ball into it. Right after dipping sprinkle the candy canes onto the pops and let dry

Peppermint Bark

• 2 packages Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips (honestly any kind of dark chocolate is fine!)
• 2 packages Nestle White Chocolate Chips 
• Peppermint Extract
• Candy Canes

    Method

1. Line an edged baking pan with parchment paper
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave 
3. Pour into the baking pan and spread out thinly with a spoon so the entire pan is covered
4. Put pan into fridge or freezer
5. Put candy canes into ziplock bags and smash
6. Melt the white chocolate in microwave, once melted add a couple drops of peppermint extract and stir in the smaller crushed candy canes
7. Take dark chocolate out of the fridge, and pour white chocolate candy cane mixture on top. Spread with a spoon
8. Sprinkle larger candy cane parts on top.