Chocolate Mint Cookies

I based these cookies off these Chocolate Andes Cookies, but since I had mint chips already from winter break, I decided just to put those in the dough instead. They were a nice break from all the chocolate chips!

Peppermint Brownies

Two weeks ago, I had gotten back a test in one of my accounting classes and I had gotten a 100%. I mean I can't say that I was expecting it, but I had worked hard in that class and studied with a friend and had gotten a good grade. I was proud of myself.

My friend, who hates accounting, had also gotten a 100%. I was so proud of her because she had learned all that stuff the couple nights that we had studied together.

Anyways, last week in class while we were learning something new, she had wrote on my notes, peppermint brownies. I thought that I would surprise with these brownies since she did do very well.

I know that you can't tell they are peppermint brownies because they dont have crushed peppermint candies in them or on top of them, but I assure you, this brownie recipe was amazing. It's so minty and chocolatey - its like amazing!



Peppermint Brownies:
[I made them in a 8 in round pan and also a ramekin for myself]
(adapted from this recipe)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour the pans you plan on baking this in.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
4. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Spread batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook. [mine were done in about 20 minutes so make sure to check!]

What I also loved about this recipe was that I only had ONE pan to wash other than the dishes that I baked in. Also sorry for the lack of good lighting! I thought I would have extras for later, but I actually ended up meeting up with her at about 8 so therefore no light except the ones in house!

Also guess what I got recently! Thank you Karen!

Chocolate Pepperment Ice Cream Cupcakes

So it's a peppermint cupcake with chocolate ice cream and some espresso whipped cream.
YUM!

I know, personally I think that the flavor combo was weird at first, but my boyfriend told me that it would be the perfect flavor combination.

Well, it all started at the beginning of the month, when I found the Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup. I live for competition. It makes my life complete. Well, one Sunday, I went out with some friends (Alex and Macky) and I decided to get some ice cream for this competition. I bought the EXTREME! Moose tracks. It was pretty yummy and I decided to make a cupcake to go with it. A chocolate cupcake would have been TOO much while I didnt want to be too plain and go with a vanilla cupcake. Instead, I decided to ask around. I finally decided on the Sprinkle's Peppermint Cupcake. I had used the recipe as printed, but I added some extra peppermint and vanilla extract. I also subbed the regular milk with soy milk. It was light and really good.

Being OCD like I am. I tested it out with no cupcake liner = didnt work so well.
Then tested it with the cupcake liners. two at a time. That's how I baked the rest of them. I mean it was time consuming, but it was fun baking and watching Food Network at the same time.

I have finally finished the cupcakes and the ice cream part and end result of those parts had two different results. Part of them were really ice creamy like right out of the freezer, the rest of them were a soupy mess =(. But freezing them overnight in a friend's freezer since I have no room made all the difference. I decided to top these off with an espresso whipped cream from here. But I kind of ran out, and then I made some chocolate whipped cream (not pictured). Regardless, they were still pretty good.
These are my pictures...
YUM!
Thanks for Dmitriy for the pictures again even though it was during finals! <3
These came out really beautifully!


This is my entry into the Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup!

<3 Nina

St. Patrick's Day Special

Green!! That's all I could think of when I thought about today. I had make something good, something green, and most of all, something AMAZING! Well it happened when the Food Librarian decided to post her "Girl Scout Thin Mint Chocolate Cupcakes", I knew I had to make them.
So starting out with that, I thought, yes a cream cheese frosting would be nice...but green peppermint frosting would be even better. So I found another recipe for that...

But here are the recipes in full form and with pictures.

Cupcake:
(modified from here)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 sleeve of crushed thin mints
1 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Then add in peppermint extract and the crushed thin mints.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 1/2 full (approximately 2 tablespoons full).
Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 15 minutes, rotating pan once if needed.
Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Crushing the thin mints while watching a tivo-ed episode of Jon and Kate plus Eight.
yay finished when the episode was done...

Then the frosting:
(modified from here)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
6 tbsp. soft butter
2 tbsp. cream or milk
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Green food coloring
Directions:
Mix the butter and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
Then add 1 tbsp of cream and mix.
Add the rest of the powdered sugar, the peppermint extract, and the rest of the cream and throughly mix.
After, add green food coloring until the color is the one desired.
Putting it together:
Frost the cupcakes.
Break the thin mints into fourths, and place decoratively...Or crush some thin mints, and sprinkle onto the frosting...
<3