Peppermint

Peppermint Meringues

We are coming to the tail end of my 12 days of Homemade Christmas and I have a simple 5 ingredient treat. They are considered a cookie, not candy and are completely gluten free. My day 11 pic for my Homemade Christmas is Peppermint Meringues. These are sweet bites of airy and light with a bit of crispness, deliciousness! I seriously could eat them all. It is a good thing that they are only 13 calories!

Don’t let the meringue part scare you, making meringue is easy. All you really need is a good mixer as mixing by hand will not get you the same results. Here are a few of my best tips:

  • Pick a dry day to make your meringues. They will turn out better on a dry day compared to a rainy or extra humid day. The moisture will prevent the stiff peaks from properly forming.
  • Remember to use room temperature egg whites.
  • Be sure not to get any yolk mixed in with your egg whites. Your egg whites will not properly stiffen.
  • Do not beat your egg whites until they are just white, beat for an extra couple minutes. You are wanting stiff peaks.
  • Add your sugar and other add in’s (crushed candy canes, chocolate chips, etc.) slowly, don’t plop it in! You will lose air and your peaks can deflate.
  • You can dollop with a spoon but if you want to get fancy a freezer ziplock bag makes an excellent piping bag! Just cut the corner off for the tip.
  • Use parchment instead of foil or a silpat when baking.
  • Use an oven thermometer! Check your oven temperature to make sure it isn’t too hot before baking.
  • To help avoid cracks, do not take out of the oven until completely cool. My family is impatient so mine almost always have cracks. They are still pretty tasty with cracks.
  • Baking low and slow also help prevent cracks.I hope you and your family and friends like these Peppermint Meringues as much as mine does!

 

Peppermint Meringues | Country Girl Gourmet

 

Peppermint Meringues
 
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A light and airy peppermint cookie
Ingredients
  • 2 egg whites
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 peppermint candy canes, crushed
  • *optional* ½-1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. If desired carefully fold in mini chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the cookies.
  3. Bake for 1½ hours in preheated oven. Meringues should be completely dry on the inside. Do not allow them to brown. Turn off oven. Keep oven door ajar, and let meringues sit in the oven until completely cool. Loosen from foil with metal spatula. Store loosely covered in cool dry place for up to 2 months.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Peppermint Bark

All of the recipes I have in my 12 days of Homemade Christmas all have some sort of special memory behind them. Day 9 is no different but it is also something I haven’t made since the summer of 2013. My day 9 of my 12 days of Homemade Christmas is Peppermint Bark. Why was I making this classic treat in the summer? For my grandma. Christmas time 2012 she found she had cancer and during her treatment I would send her care packages and she really like the chocolate and mint combo. Unfortunately she passed away in June of 2013. My grandma was an awesome person and is dearly missed. I am also sure she wouldn’t want me to stop making this delicious treat so it is back in my regular Christmas candy list right next to Buckeyes and Cocoa Can Fudge.

Peppermint bark is among some of the simplest Christmas candies to make. You crush peppermint candies or candy canes, either in the food processor or using a ziploc bag and your favorite crushing tool (mine is a frying pan) and smashing the candy into bits. You then set your crushed candy canes aside and melt your chocolate. You can use the microwave or a double boiler. Just note during this part when you add peppermint oil to not add water-based or alcohol-based flavorings to the melted chocolate. If you do this your chocolate could seize up and become clumpy and hard. After melting your chocolate you pour into a lined baking pan, layering your chocolates and then top with the crushed peppermint and let it cool. After it is cool you break it up and the best part, eat or give away as gifts.

peppermint bark |CountryGirl Gourmet

 

Peppermint Bark
 
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A easy to make Christmas candy
Ingredients
  • 30 crushed peppermint hard candies, divided
  • 1½ pounds milk or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1½ pounds white chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon oil-based peppermint flavoring, or to taste
  • *chocolate chips can be used*
  • *candy canes can be used*
Instructions
  1. Line 9x13-inch baking pan with wax paper.
  2. Melt the milk chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, just until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over peppermint candy in the prepared pan. Sprinkle another ⅓ of the candy on top of the milk chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes.
  3. Melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. Stir in the oil-based peppermint flavoring. Pour the white chocolate over the milk chocolate, then spread the peppermint candy on top.
  4. Refrigerate until the white chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Cut or break into pieces to serve.

From Allrecipes.com

Homemade Peppermint Patties

On my second day of Homemade Christmas I have for you chocolate and peppermint treat. Classic flavors of the Christmas season! I have loved peppermint patties for as long as I can remember. When I discovered a recipe to make my own I knew I had to try them. Added bonus is they are less than 5 ingredients and the recipe is super simple. Simply combine the peppermint filling, form into patties and dip into melted chocolate. There is no need for a candy thermometer or any special equipment. The hardest part is melting the chocolate.

These candies are sure to impress and your friends and family will fall in love with them! They will think you spent much more time on them than what you actually did. They are perfect to give as gifts as well at the perfect addition to any holiday cookie and candy platter. Well, that is if they make it out of the kitchen.

homemade peppermint patties | Country Girl Gourmet

 

Homemade Peppermint Patties
 
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An easy to make chocolate and peppermint confection!
Ingredients
  • 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
  • 5 cups powdered sugar, plus additional for kneading filling
  • 1 (16oz) bag of dark chocolate chips
  • 1TB shortening
Instructions
  1. In large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and peppermint extract. Add 5 cups sugar; beat on low speed until smooth and well blended. Turn mixture onto surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Knead lightly to form smooth ball. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on wax paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a 1½-inch patty.
  2. Let dry 1 hour or longer; turn over and let dry at least 1 hour. In microwave carefully melt chocolate chips with tablespoon of shortening. With fork, dip each patty into the melted chocolate (draw fork lightly across rim of pan to remove excess coating). Place onto wax paper-lined baking sheets; let stand until firm. Store covered at room temperature or in refrigerator.

Adapted from Peppermint Patties on Allrecipes.com

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

One of my favorite flavors of the holiday season is Peppermint. After searching and not coming up with  any recipes I really liked I decided to come up with my own White Chocolate Peppermint Cookie recipe and I am sharing it with you today on my 5th day of Homemade Christmas. These cookies were a big hit with my kids and i’m sure you will like them too. They are soft and chewy and full of peppermint flavor. So go ahead and give these White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies a try!

Peppermint Chip Cookies / Day 5 Homemade Christmas

 

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

Ingredients

1 cup Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

2t Vanilla Extract

1T Milk

1t Baking Soda

1/2t Salt

3 cups Flour

1 cup Candy Canes, crushed (approx 12)

1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375*

2. In a bowl cream together butter and sugars until fluffy.

3. Mix in eggs, vanilla and milk

4. Add in dry ingredients and combine well forming a dough.

5. Drop by walnut sized spoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.