Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian Feast Day to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland as well as the heritage and culture of the Irish. It is celebrated all over the world each year on March 17th. So let’s celebrate, I’m always up for a feast! Here are some ideas…

Reuben Sandwich Ring

Rye Bread

Ham & Cheese Rye Muffins

Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Brownies

Double Frosted Mint Chocolate Cookies

Frosted Chocolate Mint Blondies

Double Frosted Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

One Year Ago: Strawberry Malt Cookies

Two Years Ago: Caramel Walnut Dream Bars

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Chocolate Mint Dream Cookies

I am so sorry, I know it’s only January 8th and many people have a New Year’s resolution to eat more healthy, but I bake! It’s what I love to do, and don’t you really want a cookie? Just one? I had Cool Mint Oreo cookies, and Andes mints left over from Christmas…what else am I supposed to do? Anyway, eating is about moderation and self control, so sit down and have one cookie (maybe two) and a glass of milk. Then, think of someone who needs a cookie too and share. Life is good, eat a cookie!

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1¾ cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 Cool Mint Oreo cookies, chopped
16 Andes Mints, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°.  In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Mix in egg and vanilla.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; mix into creamed mixture.  Stir in chopped Oreos and Andes mint.  Drop by scoopful onto silpat lined baking sheet, bake for 9 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, more to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago: Cheese Olive & Buttermilk Herb Bread

Two Years Ago: Chorizo & Rice Taco Soup

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat and Perforated Baking Sheet please visit my Demarle at Home Personal Website at kristen.demarleathome.com or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Cool Mint Oreo Fudge

Easy chocolate fudge with a bonus of a little crunch and mint. Quick and delicious!

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened  condensed milk
dash salt
1½ tsp vanilla
10 Cool Mint Oreos, chopped

Line a 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ square pan with foil, extending foil over ends. In large heavy saucepan over low heat, combined semisweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt; heat just until chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir chopped Oreos into fudge mixture. Press into prepared pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of foil, peel foil away from fudge. Cut into squares. Adapted recipe from eaglebrand.com.

One Year Ago: Jungle Animal Cookies Truffles

Two Years Ago: Chocolate Pecan Pie Truffles

Double Frosted Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

It’s the beloved dark chocolate and mint combination! Everyone deserves a cupcake, go ahead, have one! Then, wrap some up and give them to your friends.

      

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powdered
1/2 tsp salt
1½ cups milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cupcake pans with cupcake liners (24). In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. In another bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk, mix until well combined. Scoop cupcake batter into prepared cupcake pans, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Mint Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbl milk
1/2 tsp mint extract
2-4 drops green food coloring

Whip butter with electric mixer until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar and milk; whip. Add mint and green food coloring, mix well. Frost completely cooled cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbl milk

Whip butter with electric mixer until light and creamy. Add cocoa, powdered sugar and milk; whip. Spoon frosting into piping bag with desired tip and pipe on top of mint frosting. Garnish with sprinkles or chopped Andes Mints if desired.

One Year Ago: One Hour Homemade Bread

Two Years Ago: Celestial Cake

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Double Frosted Chocolate Mint Cookies

This is a favorite.  I am revisiting this recipe that I did back in March.  The green and the mint are perfect for Christmas time, plus they are darn good cookies!  If you are a lover of chocolate mint, I think you will be smitten.

Chocolate Cookies:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (can use regular)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.  On lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/4″ thick.  Cut into rounds (I use a plastic drinking cup about 4″ in diameter) and place on Silpat lined baking sheet or sprayed baking sheet.  Bake for 5-6 minutes (I bake them exactly 5 minutes).  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  They will be nice & soft if you don’t overbake.  Cool completely before frosting.

Mint Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 tsp mint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
milk to make desired consistency
green food color

Cream butter, shortening, and mint with electric mixer.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add milk to make perfect spreading consistency.  Add food color to desired color.  Frost cooled cookies.  Let cookies sit until frosting set enough to frost with chocolate frosting layer.

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup cocoa
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk to make desired consistency

Cream butter, shortening, and vanilla with electric mixer.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add milk to make perfect spreading consistency.  Gently frost chocolate frosting over mint frosting.  Makes about 25 – 4″ cookies.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Double Frosted Chocolate Mint Cookies

Here are my Double Frosted Chocolate Mint Cookies!  A dark chocolate cake-like cookie with two layers of frosting, mint buttercream and dark chocolate buttercream.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

                       

Chocolate Cookies:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa (can use regular)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.  On lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/4″ thick.  Cut into rounds (I use a plastic drinking cup about 4″ in diameter) and place on Silpat lined baking sheet or sprayed baking sheet.  Bake for 5-6 minutes (I bake them exactly 5 minutes).  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  They will be nice & soft if you don’t overbake.  Cool completely before frosting.

Mint Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 tsp mint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
milk to make desired consistency
green food color

Cream butter, shortening, and mint with electric mixer.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add milk to make perfect spreading consistency.  Add food color to desired color.  Frost cooled cookies.  Let cookies sit until frosting set enough to frost with chocolate frosting layer.

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup cocoa
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk to make desired consistency

Cream butter, shortening, and vanilla with electric mixer.  Slowly mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add milk to make perfect spreading consistency.  Gently frost chocolate frosting over mint frosting.  Makes about 25 – 4″ cookies.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Chocolate Mint Marshmallow Brownies

When I was growing up, my mom quite often made this recipe for chocolate frosted marshmallow brownies, a family favorite.  When I saw new chocolate mint marshmallow, I thought of my mom’s recipe and how it would be a fun twist.  I added Andes mints to the brownie batter to intensify the mint flavor.  The Mint M&M’s are also great for snacking while baking!

                       

Brownie Batter:
10 Tbl butter
2 – 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 (4.67 oz / 28 pieces) pkg Andes Mints, divided
1 (8 oz) pkg Chocolate Mint Marshmallows
2 tsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a 9×13 pan with foil, ends overlapping to remove brownies from pan.  Spray foil with non-stick spray.  In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat.  Stir in sugar, remove from heat.  By hand, beat eggs into chocolate mixture one at a time.  Stir in vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, beat until well combined.  Chop 22 Andes mints and fold into brownie batter.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 28 minutes.

While brownies bake, cut marshmallows in half to make about 3 cups.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over cut marshmallows and toss to keep cut sides from sticking together.  Take brownies from oven after 28 minutes and evenly spread marshmallows over top in single layer.  Return to oven for 2 minutes.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
5-6 Tbl milk
1 tsp vanilla

Beat butter, cocoa, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbl milk, and vanilla.  Gradually add remaining powdered sugar and milk to make desired frosting consistency.  Spread over completely cool brownies.  Garnish brownies with remaining Andes mints by finely chopping and sprinkle over or use peeler and peel curls over brownies, & put Mint M&M’s on top.  Grab foil and lift brownies out of pan onto cutting board, cut for serving.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Inspired by one of my favorite ice cream flavors – mint chocolate chip.  Easy enough to do, your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe with mint extract and green food coloring added to the creamed mixture.  A fun change!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp mint extract
green food coloring (add to desired color)
2¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (can also use mint chips)

Preheat oven to 375°.  In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar.  Add egg, mint extract, and desired amount of green color.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt, mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by cookie scoop onto cookies sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes depending on scoop size.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat and Perforated Baking Sheet please visit my Demarle at Home Personal Website at kristen.demarleathome.com or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.