Chocolatecoveredmints Food

CHOCOLATE COVERED MINTS

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract.
• Add evaporated milk and mix well.
• Drop 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon into small bowl of confectioners sugar.
• Dust fingers with the sugar for easier rolling.
• Roll into small balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
• Chill for 20 minutes.
• Flatten with a glass to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips.
• Dip patties and place on a waxed paper to harden.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED MINT ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Sandwich mint chocolate chip ice cream between chocolate wafer cookies; freeze until firm. Melt 6 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, 6 tablespoons butter and 11/2 tablespoons corn syrup in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract; let cool a few minutes, then dip the ice cream sandwiches in the chocolate mixture to fully coat. Freeze at least 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE COVERED MATZO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
• Arrange matzo to fit into pan; break boards if necessary.
• Combine butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling; boil for about 3 minutes.
• Pour butter mixture evenly over matzo.
• Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and immediately reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) if the matzo are smoking too much.
• Remove baking sheet from oven and sprinkle matzo with chocolate chips. Let stand to melt chocolate, 5 minutes.
• Spread the melted chocolate over matzo. Place in refrigerator until chilled and set. Break into pieces when cooled.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED MINT ICE CREAM TERRINE

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Blend together cream, milk, and mint in a blender just until minutest is finely chopped.
• Bring cream mixture to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then let stand off heat 5 minutes. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, then slowly add cream mixture, whisking to combine. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, until custard thickens slightly and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
• Immediately strain custard thourough a fine-mesh sieve set over a metal bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Quick-chill custard by setting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, about 20 minutes.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker.
• Lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving at least 2 inches of overhang on each side.
• Pack terrine with ice cream, smoothing top with offset spatula, then cover with parchment overhang. Freeze until completely firm, at least 3 hours. make chocolate coating while terrine is freezing: Finely chop chocolate (preferably in a food processor).
• Bring water, cream, sugar, and cocoa to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in crème de menthe and chocolate, stirring gently with whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature (chocolate should still be liquid; do not chill), about 20 minutes.
• Put a 12- by 9-inch piece of parchment on a small baking sheet (if using other than 12- by 2- by 2-inch terrine, adjust dimensions of parchment accordingly), holding it down with dabs of chocolate under each corner. Spread chocolate evenly over parchment with cleaned offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Chill on baking sheet until set, about 1 hour.
• Coat terrine:
• Remove terrine from freezer and open flaps of parchment. Run a hot knife along short sides to loosen, then invert terrine onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Remove mold and discard parchment. Remove terrine from plastic wrap and arrange lengthwise on its side on set chocolate so that bottom of ice cream is 1 1/2 inches from a long edge of chocolate. Roll up ice cream tightly in coating (still on parchment) until edges of chocolate meet, then press together so that excess chocolate and parchment are standing up like a seam (you will trim it off later).
• Immediately freeze terrine until chocolate is firm, at least 1 hour. Starting from seam, peel parchment off both sides of terrine. Trim excess chocolate from seam with kitchen shears and trim open ends with a knife. Invert terrine onto a platter and peel parchment off top.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CREAM CHEESE MINTS

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese, sugar and extract with mixer until blended. Roll into 30 balls, using about 1 Tbsp. for each. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet; flatten slightly.
• Freeze 10 min. or until firm.
• Melt chocolate as directed on package. Dip mints, 1 at a time, in chocolate, turning to evenly coat both sides of each mint; return to baking sheet. Top with sprinkles. Let stand 3 hours or until firm.

CHOCOLATE COVERED FRUIT

Steps:

• Peel oranges and separate into sections.
• Wrap sections in plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
• Rinse strawberries under cold running water, do not remove the stems.
• Pat berries completely dry with paper towels.
• Set fruit aside.
• Fruit should be at room temperature for dipping.
• Place peanuts in a small bowl.
• Into a double boiler top, not over water, grate semi sweet chocolate squares.
• Set candy thermometer in place, set aside.
• Heat water to boiling in double boiler bottom; remove from heat.
• Place double boiler top over hot water; melt chocolate, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until temperature reaches 130 degrees.
• Immediately discard hot water from double boiler bottom and refill with cold water to come one-third of the way up the side of the double boiler.
• Set top in place and cool chocolate, stirring constantly, until chocolate temperature reaches 83 degrees.
• Remove double boiler top and replace cold water in bottom with warm water (about 85 degrees).
• This will keep the chocolate and dipping consistency longer.
• With fingers, hold one piece of fruit at a time and dip it into chocolate, leaving part of fruit uncovered.
• Shake off excess chocolate or gently scrape one side of fruit to remove excess.
• Place on waxed paper.
• Working quickly, stir peanuts into leftover chocolate in pan.
• Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.
• Let chocolate covered fruit and peanut clusters stand until chocolate is set (about 10 minutes) before removing from waxed paper.
• Serve dipped fresh fruit same day.
• Store peanut clusters in tightly covered container; use within one week.
• Note: Chocolate can be easily melted in the microwave as well.
• Break chocolate into chunks and microwave in increments of 20-30 seconds, stirring in between each session.