A Peppermint Party (and Some Cookies Too)
10 Comments posted by Kristi on Monday, December 11, 2006 at 11:50 AM
I was a baking fiend this weekend, and it felt fantastic. Pre-Isabella, I baked something almost every weekend. Post-Isabella? Not so much. But on Friday and Saturday nights, I hit the kitchen after the wee one went to bed, and made Peppermint Pie, Peppermint Bark, and then on Sunday, she "helped" me make Christmas cookies.
I officially cristened my new oven this weekend making a pie that didn't even require baking. Its crust did, however, so my oven's first job was to bake a graham cracker crust for the Peppermint Pie I made. Later in the weekend, though, I gave it a full workout making the cookies.
"Peppermint Pie?" you say. "I've never heard of Peppermint Pie." Well, I actually hadn't either until I saw my girlfriend Paula Deen make one on a Food Network holiday special a few weeks ago, and I knew I had to give it a try. It sounded easy, and it was. But the recipe called for soft peppermints, which I soon learned would be difficult to find. My local grocery store, which is enormous and carries everything under the sun, didn't have them. I finally found them at Walgreens, so if you make this pie, head there.
The pie was light and delicious and requires very few ingredients. And of course, your house will smell like Christmas while the peppermints are melting on your stove.
Peppermint Pie
Ingredients
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
8 ounces peppermint candies, soft type (recommended: Bob's. Found at Walgreens)
1 prepared chocolate cookie crust (I'm not a chocolate fan, so I made a graham cracker one instead)
Crushed hard peppermint candies, for garnish (I omitted)
Directions
1.) Soften gelatin in water and set aside.
2.) Put 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan with candies and cook over low heat until candy melts.
3.) Add gelatin mixture and mix well.
4.) Let cool and fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust, sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies, and chill thoroughly (I let mine sit overnight).
Enjoy!
Saturday night, I continued the peppermint theme by making peppermint bark. I *heart* me some peppermint bark like nobody's business. And when I was pregnant with Isabella, I bought it constantly.
This is Martha's recipe, and it was super-simple to make. Finding the peppermint oil was a challenge, though, and I finally found it at a cooking specialty store. One thing I discovered after spilling a tiny bit of the oil on the counter. It apparently has the same effect on cats as catnip. My cats were all over the counter like white on rice, rolling on the spot of the spill. And when I pushed them off, they rolled all over the floor like they were drugged. Bizarre.
Martha's Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
2 pounds white chocolate (I bought the small disks in the bulk food section of my grocery store, but if you buy bars, chop them into 1/2 inch pieces)
12 large candy canes
1/2 tsp peppermint oil
Directions
1.) Line an 11 x 17 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2.) In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate, stirring constantly.
3.) Pound candy canes into 1/4-inch pieces.
4.) Stir candy cane pieces and peppermint oil into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat and pour mixture into pan, spreading evenly. Chill for 25-30 minutes. Break into pieces, and eat!
And finally, I made cutout cookies on Sunday. Here are some I just sprinkled with colored sugar.
And here are some plain ones I fully intended to frost with royal icing, but didn't, which actually works out okay because I actually like them better without icing. I know. It's strange.
Isabella was quite the help in the kitchen. Here she is wearing my hat from when I was a wee tot. My sister and I each had one. My mom would put them on out heads, hand us a red felt square onto which she'd sewn jingle bells, and we'd skip around our kitchen table singing Christmas carols. Good times. Rumor has it Karrie still does this today in her own house.
I officially cristened my new oven this weekend making a pie that didn't even require baking. Its crust did, however, so my oven's first job was to bake a graham cracker crust for the Peppermint Pie I made. Later in the weekend, though, I gave it a full workout making the cookies.
"Peppermint Pie?" you say. "I've never heard of Peppermint Pie." Well, I actually hadn't either until I saw my girlfriend Paula Deen make one on a Food Network holiday special a few weeks ago, and I knew I had to give it a try. It sounded easy, and it was. But the recipe called for soft peppermints, which I soon learned would be difficult to find. My local grocery store, which is enormous and carries everything under the sun, didn't have them. I finally found them at Walgreens, so if you make this pie, head there.
The pie was light and delicious and requires very few ingredients. And of course, your house will smell like Christmas while the peppermints are melting on your stove.
Peppermint Pie
Ingredients
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
8 ounces peppermint candies, soft type (recommended: Bob's. Found at Walgreens)
1 prepared chocolate cookie crust (I'm not a chocolate fan, so I made a graham cracker one instead)
Crushed hard peppermint candies, for garnish (I omitted)
Directions
1.) Soften gelatin in water and set aside.
2.) Put 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan with candies and cook over low heat until candy melts.
3.) Add gelatin mixture and mix well.
4.) Let cool and fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust, sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies, and chill thoroughly (I let mine sit overnight).
Enjoy!
Saturday night, I continued the peppermint theme by making peppermint bark. I *heart* me some peppermint bark like nobody's business. And when I was pregnant with Isabella, I bought it constantly.
This is Martha's recipe, and it was super-simple to make. Finding the peppermint oil was a challenge, though, and I finally found it at a cooking specialty store. One thing I discovered after spilling a tiny bit of the oil on the counter. It apparently has the same effect on cats as catnip. My cats were all over the counter like white on rice, rolling on the spot of the spill. And when I pushed them off, they rolled all over the floor like they were drugged. Bizarre.
Martha's Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
2 pounds white chocolate (I bought the small disks in the bulk food section of my grocery store, but if you buy bars, chop them into 1/2 inch pieces)
12 large candy canes
1/2 tsp peppermint oil
Directions
1.) Line an 11 x 17 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2.) In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate, stirring constantly.
3.) Pound candy canes into 1/4-inch pieces.
4.) Stir candy cane pieces and peppermint oil into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat and pour mixture into pan, spreading evenly. Chill for 25-30 minutes. Break into pieces, and eat!
And finally, I made cutout cookies on Sunday. Here are some I just sprinkled with colored sugar.
And here are some plain ones I fully intended to frost with royal icing, but didn't, which actually works out okay because I actually like them better without icing. I know. It's strange.
Isabella was quite the help in the kitchen. Here she is wearing my hat from when I was a wee tot. My sister and I each had one. My mom would put them on out heads, hand us a red felt square onto which she'd sewn jingle bells, and we'd skip around our kitchen table singing Christmas carols. Good times. Rumor has it Karrie still does this today in her own house.
WOW! You are such a prolific little baker. I love the shot of the peppermints in the pot. Ooey, gooey, sticky sweet mess. Will you make a felt square with jingle bells for Isabella, too?
Excellent! I haven't done a lick of Christmas baking yet. It all looks wonderful! I like naked cookies too. Do you have a favorite recipe? I use my grandma's recipe for sour cream cutouts. Mmmm. The pie and bark sound great too. I'd be drizzling chocolate over that pie!!
Can't wait to hear about Isabella jingling and singing!!
Go you! I am SERIOUSLY impressed (and hungry). You are definitely channeling Martha in that bottom photo and little Isabella is looking cuter than ever.
p.s. I am stealing the peppermint pie recipe for my office Xmas party.
Honeychile, if you keep baking like that, you will be 300 pounds by age 50! It looks wonderful, though, and I sure would like some pie right now!
Oooooh, I'm so making the Peppermint Bark tomorrow!!
Wow...you have inspired me to do some baking today!
Love Isabella in your hat! She's such a cutie!
Wow...I was in the baking spirit but all things wait til after finals. Plus, I'm sure my Mom will have me baking when I arrive in Florida. I might have to add some peppermint bark to the repetoire though. Yum.
Yum-o! Even your little one looks like a tasty peppermint stick.
Wow, good for you. I'm supposed to bake something this year for Christmas dinner but am not sure if I can do it with a newborn. We'll see...
L-Only if she's lucky. :)
Marie-I use the recipe from my mom's old RG&E cookbook! I'd love the sour cream cutout recipe if you'll share it.
Jenny-Any time, lady. You know where I live.
Wombinations-Oh cool! Let me know how it comes out.
Kenju-Probably, but I can't stop myself!
Princess-Cool. It's sooo good.
Ramona-Bake away, girlfriend. Maybe something with pumpkin in it? ;)
Christine-Definitely try it. It's yummy!
Damselfly-that's what husbands are for-watching the babes while you bake!
Sher-You're too sweet. :)