Chocolate Sauce For Peppermint Semifreddo Recipes

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and water in saucepan.
• Melt.
• Add sugar and salt.
• Cook, stir til sugar dissolves.
• Add butter, peppermint and nuts.
• Stir to mix.
• Store in covered container in fridge.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE FOR PEPPERMINT SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a metal bowl. Bring cream to a boil; pour over chocolate. Let stand 15 minutes; stir until smooth and combined.

PEPPERMINT SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Using a rolling pin, finely crush 5 tablespoons candy between the two sheets of parchment paper. Place cream in a medium bowl; whisk in crushed candy, and whip until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to use. Roughly crush remaining 3 tablespoons candy; set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath. In a large metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar until pale. Add liqueur; whisk vigorously until mixture is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to ice bath; whisk until cool.
• In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water, whisk egg whites and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer, and beat until stiff and glossy peaks form.
• Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture one-third at a time. Fold in the whipped-cream mixture. Spoon mixture into six serving dishes, layering it with reserved crushed candy. Freeze until firm, at least 1 1/2 hours.
• Serve with chocolate sauce and peppermint candy on the side.

CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 4 to 5 inches to extend over all sides.
• Stir cookie crumbs and almonds together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Place chopped bittersweet and semisweet chocolate in a large bowl and set a fine wire-mesh strainer over the bowl; set aside.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Heat 1/2 cup cream and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture until completely combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture is slightly thickened and registers 160 to 165 degrees F (70 to 74 degrees C), 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let mixture simmer.
• Immediately pour into the strainer over the chocolate. Discard any solids left in the strainer. Let chocolate mixture stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth; whisk in vanilla and almond extracts. Let stand until completely cool, about 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream with an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into chocolate mixture until completely combined. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula until incorporated and no streaks of whipped cream remain. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with cookie crumb mixture.
• Pull excess plastic wrap at sides tightly over cake, gently pressing down on cookie crumb mixture. Freeze, 12 to 24 hours.
• Lift semifreddo from pan, using plastic wrap as handles, and transfer to a serving plate. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut semifreddo into 8 slices, using a serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice.

PEPPERMINT PROFITEROLES WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Place ice cream in large bowl. Fold in candies and peppermint extract. Cover and freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.
• Make cream puff pastry:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment. Combine 3/4 cup water, butter, sugar and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until butter melts. Add flour and stir over medium heat until dough pulls away from sides of pan and forms ball, about 2 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat 3 eggs into dough 1 at a time. Transfer dough to pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe sixteen 1 1/2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Beat 1 egg in small bowl. Brush over dough mounds (do not drip egg onto sheet).
• Bake pastries 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pastries until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using skewer, pierce side of each pastry to allow steam to escape. Bake pastries 5 minutes longer; transfer to racks and cool completely. (Ice cream and pastries can be made 1 week ahead. Keep ice cream frozen. Enclose pastries in resealable plastic bag; freeze. Thaw pastries before continuing.)
• Make chocolate sauce:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.)
• Cut pastries crosswise in half. Place 1 scoop ice cream into bottom of each pastry. Cover with pastry tops. Spoon some warm chocolate sauce into 8 bowls. Place 2 profiteroles atop sauce in each bowl. Spoon sauce over profiteroles. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints. Garnish with mint sprigs.