Dark Dreams Recipes

GRASSHOPPER ICE CREAM PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Crust: In a food processor, blitz cookies until they are fully crumbled. Drizzle in melted butter and cream and add salt. Pulse to combine. (Alternatively, place cookies in a large zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer crumbs to a mixing bowl and combine with butter, cream, and salt.) Transfer crumb mixture to a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. Using your hands or the back of a measuring cup, press crumbs evenly along walls and bottom of pie plate. Set aside.
• For the Filling: Fill a medium saucepot with at least 1 1/2 inches water and bring to a simmer. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, sugar, Fernet Branca, and salt. Place bowl over pot of simmering water. Stirring constantly with a flexible rubber spatula, heat egg mixture until it reaches 165°F (74°C), about 10 minutes.
• Remove bowl from heat and place on stand mixer with whip attachment. Whip egg mixture on high until it becomes thick and pale and doubles in volume, about 10 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add peppermint extract and food coloring (if using). Mix to combine and transfer egg mixture to a wide bowl.
• In stand mixer bowl (no need to wash it), whip cream until it reaches soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into egg mixture. Using a fork, drizzle streaks of melted chocolate over the entire surface of the mint mousse. Set bowl of mousse in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 5 minutes. Using a flexible rubber spatula, crack chocolate streaks into 1-inch pieces and fold into mousse. Repeat the chocolate-drizzling and folding procedure until no more chocolate remains. Pour mint mousse into prepared cookie crust and freeze for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight.
• For the Fudge Topping: Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat or well-greased piece of aluminum foil. In a 1-quart saucepot, combine sugar with 1/4 cup water. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Remove lid and cook sugar syrup until it becomes a deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Add cocoa nibs and stir to combine. Carefully pour caramel onto lined baking sheet and allow to fully set and cool, about 1 hour.
• With a rolling pin, crack caramel into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Transfer pieces to a food processor and pulse until caramel is mostly finely ground. Add molasses, oil, salt, and vanilla and process until combined. With food processor running, slowly drizzle in chilled cream, stopping to scrape down bowl's sides if needed. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a plain #17 tip and chill for at least 1 hour before piping.
• To Finish: Remove pie from freezer and garnish the top with fudge in a crisscross pattern. Fill a piping bag fitted with a #32 open star tip with whipped cream and pipe along the border. Drizzle the edges with melted chocolate, if desired. Using a knife dipped in hot water, cut pie into 8 to 12 slices and serve with extra fudge on the side.

OLD-WORLD DARK BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. In a saucepan, heat 2-1/2 cups water, molasses, butter, vinegar and chocolate to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a ball. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. , In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch and remaining water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Brush over bread.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time until incorporated. Add the molasses and vanilla and mix. Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt. Working in batches, and mixing after each addition just until combined, add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Shape the dough into a thick disk, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 cookie sheets.
• On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half and roll each piece out into a large 1/4-inch thick sheet. Transfer the dough sheets to the sheet pans; then cut out the required shapes with your templates (see Gingerbread House Templates below).
• Bake until stiff and toast-y, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the Royal Icing: In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the confectioners' sugar and egg whites together. Add more sugar, if necessary, to reach a spreadable consistency.
• Assemble and Decorate the House: Glue the house walls together by setting them up on the cardboard base, and piping the royal icing at the joints with a medium plain tip from the inside. Prop the sides up with wine or soda bottles and let set for 30 minutes. Attach the roof pieces, using the icing in the same way
• Using a spatula to apply the icing, glue the frosted mini-wheats on the roof to look like thatching. Attach the front door, with hinges made from icing (leave it open to be more inviting). Decorate as you like, following the suggestions in the ingredient list, using the icing as glue, if needed. Use a small plain tip for any filigree style decorative line work, you may want. *RAW EGG WARNING Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
• Gingerbread House Templates:
• Brown paper bags, as needed
• You'll need to make 7 templates, by drawing the dimensions out on brown paper and cutting them out. Use the templates as a stencil to cut the dough into the required pieces. Here are the templates you'll need:
• Two front and rear walls: 5 inches high by 8 inches long. Cut out 2 windows from each wall, and 2 1/2 by 1 1/2-inch door in one.
• Two side walls shaped like a house (triangle on a square): 5 inches high by 6 inches long, with a triangle 7 inches high on top (cut all in 1 piece). Cut 1 window out of each side.
• Two overhanging roof pieces: 4 1/2 inches wide by 9 inches long.
• One door: 2 1/2 inches high by 1 1/2 inches wide.

DARK CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PATTIE CAKE

Steps:

• If you're one of those individuals who always opts for the chocolate-covered Thin Mints when your local Girl Scout representative comes calling, this dessert is for you. The refreshing peppermint counterpoint takes the edge off the intense fudge-like cake.
• To facilitate cutting the Peppermint Patties, I often freeze them first. Use a hot, dry long-bladed knife to cut perfectly clean slices of the cake.
• Serve with whipped cream, cocoa fudge sauce, and a drizzle of mint syrup.
• Cocoa Fudge Sauce, recipe follows, for serving
• Mint Syrup, recipe follows, for serving
• To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.
• Melt the chocolate with the butter and cream in the top of a double boiler. Reserve.
• In the bowl of a mixer with a whip, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and light (about 5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix until just blended. Add the flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the bowl once or twice. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and stir in the Peppermint Pattie pieces. The mixture will be quite thick.
• In a clean mixing bowl, with a clean whip, beat the egg whites to medium soft peaks. Lighten the batter by stirring in about one-third of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites and the place batter in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake will feel set and very fine hairline cracks will just start to form around the edges. Remove and cool in the pan on a rack.
• To make the ganache topping: Heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan to just under a boil. Add the chopped chocolate and, over very low heat, constantly stirring, cook the mixture until it is completely smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable. This can take several hours. You can make the topping up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it, and allow it to come to room temperature for several hours before using. You can also hasten the cooling process by placing the melted ganache over an ice bath and gently stirring it till thickened; however, the resulting texture may not be quite as smooth and creamy.
• Place the cooled cake upside down on a cardboard cake circle or a service plate. Remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan. Remove the parchment liner. Using an offset spatula, decoratively spread the ganache over what is now the top of the cake, drawing the ganache all the way out to the edges of the cake. Using the offset spatula, level the edges to give the cake a finished look. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream, Cocoa Fudge Sauce and Mint Syrup.
• Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk in the cream and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking often. Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and strain though a fine sieve. Cool and serve at room temperature. This can be made up to 1 week ahead of time. It can also be frozen.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down and simmer several minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely. Reserve.
• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Have a strainer and a bowl of ice water at the ready. Working quickly, place the mint leaves in the boiling water and blanch until just wilted (about 10 seconds). Immediately strain the mint and place the leaves directly in the ice water to set their color. Strain the mint again, pressing to remove excess liquid.
• Place the mint leaves and half of the reserved syrup in a blender. Puree the mint, stopping several times to scrape down the blender bowl. Add the remaining syrup and blend for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a clean storage container and allow to sit overnight, covered, at room temperature.
• Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solid mint puree. Store the syrup, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. Shake or stir lightly before using.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups