Mint & Peppermint Treats
Delicious recipes that are perfect at Holiday time or anytime
Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
Recipe Review
As always, delicious. All of Isa & Terry's recipes turn out so good - especially from this little tiny cookbook - it's no wonder that it won "Cookbook of the Year" from VegNews and that everyone else is raving about it, too.
I couldn't quite get my frosting to set up and hold it's texture - that's because I couldn't wait till they completely cooled... I wanted to eat one so badly. No biggie - the taste is what counts - and it tasted fabulous. My husband who does not generally care for mint flavored items - really liked these... he's becoming converted to more and more mint desserts.
Peppermint Stick Ice Cream
Just some stuff I threw together in the food processor
Recipe Review
Yup, that's right - I just threw some stuff together in the food processor. I think the easiest way to make your own Peppermint stick ice cream is to buy some peppermints or candy canes and crush them up with the metal blade of the food processor. This takes about 30 seconds or less. Then, add your favorite brand vanilla ice cream and swirl it together until it's well combined. I had the disappointment of finding out that the candy canes I bought were not peppermint flavored - so what I did was add about 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract. I'm lucky I had some from the states. Now you can have Peppermint Stick Ice Cream year round - well, if you are lucky enough to buy those little peppermint candies year round that is. This is another recipe in which Mark would normally not like. The first couple bites of his ice cream he wasn't liking it too much -but by the end he was sold!
I'll be making more tomorrow night and serving it to the Elders after they munch on some yummy Navajo Tacos. I try to spoil them the best I can. I'm sure they enjoy eating Dutch food while they are here but it's nice to serve them something from home once in a while, too. This is one way I use my talents to bless others :)
Peppermint Swirls
a Gold Medal recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies
This is a super easy recipe to throw together. I got it from one of those little cookbooks you buy at the supermarket check out - all the recipes come from Betty Crocker and Gold Medal. This recipe is cool because it contains no eggs or milk - therefore making it vegan and then you don't feel bad about eating raw cookie dough. It's also a nice recipe because it is so easy that a 2 year old can help make the cookies - which is what Kailea wanted to do. In the recipe, they suggest using red food coloring - to give the cookies that peppermint candy look - but I didn't have any and decided on a nice blue/green color. After they were done I thought - hey, I should change the name on these to "Smurf Cookies" because that's what they look like. Maybe I can do that and add a different flavor instead of peppermint. What would be a good "smurf" flavor. I'm thinking pineapple or almond or something like more vanilla. Like when you go to the Ice cream shops over here in the summer they usually have a "smurf" ice cream for the kids - I think it is usually just vanilla flavored but this same shade of blue. Kind of fun especially when you add the sprinkles to the cookies. Here is the recipe:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon red food color or 1/8 teaspoon paste food color
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or sprinkles - which I used)
Heat oven to 350-F or 175-C. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer. Stir in flour. Divide dough in half. Stir peppermint extract and food color into one half of dough. Divide each color of dough in half. Shape each piece of dough on generously floured surface into a rope, 12 inches long. Place 2 ropes, 1 red and 1 white, side by side. Twist ropes. Repeat with remaining 2 pieces of dough. Cut twisted ropes int 1/2" pieces. Shape each into a ball (this is where the kids can help). Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly to about 1/4-inch thickness with greased bottom of glass dipped in sugar (sprinkles). Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool completely.
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