Peppermint Bonbon Cookies

Before you ask, yes I am STILL going through my Christmas "to blog" recipes.  I know, it's awful, but I bake so much during the holidays that I can't (well, lets not use the word "can't".  It's really more like "can't find the effort to") keep up with them AND my weekly baking that I do.  And so I run into this situation.  You're wondering why I'm posting something made with candy canes in April.  Well, they're just as tasty in April as they are in December and you can get Starlight candies any time of the year. So there.

I've had this recipe for a few years now and have made it for every Christmas goody bag since then.  They're excellent but honestly do need to be eaten within a day or too of making them or they get a little stale.  

This is one of the few recipes that I don't bother using my mixer for.  Just all hand stirring here!

Enjoy!

Peppermint Bonbon Cookies

Cookie

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 stick butter

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

6 tablespoons sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Drizzle

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons milk 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Additional crushed peppermint candies (optional)

For cookies:

• Melt butter and both chocolates in a double boiler.  Once smooth, stir in candy and sugar.  Cool 10 minutes.
• Add eggs one at a time.  Stir in extracts.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to chocolate mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Cover and chill 1 hour.  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Scoop onto parchment lined sheets and bake about 13 minutes.  Cool.

For drizzle:

• Mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  Drizzle over cookies.  In the picture I posted I didn't do this step.  Sometimes I leave it out, sometimes I do both.  
• Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over cookies.  Sprinkle with extra crushed candies.  Again, in this picture, no candies.  I wasn't feeling it this year.  

Straight from MyRecipes.com.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

Oh my, these are good.  Really good.  Like really, REALLY good.  They're the perfect combination of sweet and salty, which is always great.  My dearest husband and his awful palate (don't worry, he won't read this.  I don't think he finds me nearly as amusing as I find myself.) were not impressed but I've decided he isn't a valid taste-tester anymore.  Don't get me wrong, he's still my go-to man for gobbling up any and all treats I make but he insists that everything tastes like it has coffee in it.  Except, of course, the things that actually DO have coffee in them.   I've actually tested him on it and he failed miserably.  What are you gonna do?  Me, I'll keep making things and having friends review them instead.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chilled butter, cubed

1 tablespoon ice water

1 egg yolk

Caramel

1  14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoon whipping cream

Sea Salt

For crust: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line an 11x9 inch pan with parchment.  
• Blend first 4 ingredients in processor.  Add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms.  Add water and egg yolk.  Blend until moist clumps form.  Press onto bottom of pan (I put a sheet of wax paper over it before I pressed because my fingers were pulling everything up).  
• Bake about 20 minutes or until golden.  Pierce any bubbles with a fork.  Cool.

For caramel:

• Whisk first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.  Boil gently until caramel is think and temperature is 225 degrees, whisking constantly.  The recipe said this should take 6 minutes but it took me closer to 12.  
• Pour over crust while caramel is still hot.  Smooth and cool 15 minutes.

For topping:

• Heat cream to just boiling and pour over chopped chocolate.  Let sit 30 seconds then whisk until smooth.  Spread over caramel.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until set.

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine.