Cool, Peppermint Treats

Dress up your holiday desserts with the refreshing taste of peppermint. Make these tasty treats for your family or give them as gifts-everyone will thank you!

Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
Ingredients
1 tsp. butter
3 (11.5-oz.) packages milk chocolate morsels
12 cream-and-mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, broken into pieces (We tested with Oreo Double Delight Mint'N Creme Cookies)
1 cup small pretzel sticks
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped soft peppermint candies, divided

Preparation
Line 1 (15- x 10-inch) jelly-roll pan with parchment paper; grease with butter. Microwave milk chocolate morsels in a large bowl at high 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 45-second intervals. Gently stir in cookie pieces, pretzel sticks, and 3/4 cup coarsely chopped candies. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped candies. Let stand until firm (about 6 hours). Break or cut into pieces. Store in a cool place up to 3 days.

Related: 6 Decadent Red Velvet Desserts

Chocolate-Peppermint Candy Cupcakes
Chocolate-Peppermint Candy Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz.) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12-oz.) package white chocolate morsels
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Beat 1 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar alternately with 2/3 cup milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract.

Preparation
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at high for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time.) Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Place 36 paper baking cups in muffin pans; spoon batter evenly into paper cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Melt white chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at high for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total). Stir until smooth, and spread in a 1/4-inch-thick layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with peppermint candy. Chill 30 minutes or until firm. Remove from baking sheet and chop. Spread cupcakes evenly with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting; sprinkle evenly with chopped candy mixture.

Related: 70 Best Loved Cookies

Chocolate-Mint Cake
Chocolate-Mint Cake
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups semisweet morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16-oz.) package light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil
Chocolate Ganache

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Beat 1/2 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar alternately with 1/3 cup milk, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract.

Chocolate Ganache
Microwave 1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at medium (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in 3 Tbsp. butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks.

Preparation
Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at high for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time.) Stir until smooth.

Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Spoon batter evenly into 2 greased and floured 10-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Stir together Vanilla Buttercream Frosting and peppermint oil until well blended. Spread frosting mixture evenly between cake layers. Spread Chocolate Ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.

Related: 3 Easy Ways to Decorate Your Cakes Like a Pro

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. red food coloring paste
Parchment Paper
Peppermint Frosting

Peppermint Frosting
Beat 1/4 cup softened butter and 1 (3-oz.) package softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and gradually add 1 Tbsp. milk and 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract, beating until smooth.

Preparation
Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended, scraping bowl as needed.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Divide dough into 2 equal portion. Roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- x 8-inch rectangle on a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap.

Knead food coloring paste into remaining portion of dough while wearing rubber gloves. Roll tinted dough into a rectangle as directed above. Invert untinted dough onto tinted dough; peel off plastic wrap. Cut dough in half lengthwise, forming 2 (12- x 4-inch) rectangles. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side, using bottom piece of plastic wrap as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze 4 hours or up to 1 month.

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut ends off each dough log, and discard. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 6 to 7 minutes or until puffed and set; cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Place Peppermint Frosting in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 2 tsp. frosting onto half of cookies; top with remaining cookies, gently pressing to form a sandwich.

Related: Party-Perfect Appetizers

Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
Ingredients
1 (18.25-oz.) package white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 (9-oz.) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
1 tsp. cider vinegar
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat 1 (8-oz.) package softened cream cheese and 1 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 (2-pound) package powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth. Add 2 tsp. peppermint extract, beating until blended. (For a quick version, stir together 3 [16-oz.] containers ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting and 2 tsp. peppermint extract.)

Preparation
Beat first 4 ingredients according to cake mix package directions.

Beat yellow cake mix and next 6 ingredients according to package directions. Spoon red batter alternately with white batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Swirl batter gently with a knife.

Bake at 350° for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Spread Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. (Cake may be chilled up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.) Garnish, if desired.

See More Cool, Peppermint Treats!

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