Triple Chocolate Peppermint Trifle Recipes

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TREATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , For frosting, melt white baking chips in a microwave; stir until smooth. In another bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in melted chips. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Frost cookies; sprinkle with peppermint candies.

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TRIFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.
• Bring milk and butter almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Put eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until pale and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add hot milk mixture in a slow, steady stream. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined.
• Pour batter into pan. Bake until center springs back when lightly touched, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack. Remove parchment; let cool completely. Halve cake horizontally.
• Make the syrup: Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely. Stir in liqueur.
• Make the mousse: Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring 1 cup cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Place white chocolate in a food processor; with machine running, pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to nearly stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in candies. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thickened and almost firm, 4 to 6 hours.
• Make the pudding: Put chocolate into a large bowl; set aside. Bring cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk yolks in a bowl. Pour in hot cream in a slow, steady stream, whisking.
• Pour mixture back into pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Set bowl in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to hold ribbons on surface, about 15 minutes. Place plastic wrap directly on surface; refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
• To assemble: Spread one-third of the mousse into bottom of a glass trifle bowl that is 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Top with a cake layer, and brush with half the syrup.Top with half the pudding, then another third of mousse. Place remaining cake layer on top; brush with remaining syrup. Top with remaining pudding, then mousse. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 12 hours.
• Beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Top trifle with the whipped cream, and sprinkle with candies.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT BARK

Steps:

• With a pencil and ruler, measure out and mark a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33 cm) rectangle on a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit in a sheet pan. Flip the paper over (so the pencil marks are on the bottom), and then place the paper on a sheet pan.
• Place the bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the chocolate from the heat and pour it onto the rectangle on the parchment. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate to fill in the rectangle. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
• While the chocolate is setting, in the same bowl you used to melt the bittersweet chocolate, combine the semisweet chocolate, cream, and peppermint extract. Warm it over the barely simmering water, stirring frequently, until the mixture is just melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool until it is room temperature, about 15 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the refrigerator and pour the semisweet chocolate mixture over the chilled chocolate rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the semisweet chocolate in an even layer, then chill until very cold and firm, about 1 hour.
• In a clean bowl, warm the white chocolate over barely simmering water until the chocolate is smooth. Working quickly, pour the white chocolate over the firm semisweet layer, using a clean offset spatula to spread it to cover. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Chill in the refrigerator just until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Carefully transfer the parchment paper from the sheet pan to a large cutting board. Trim away any uneven edges of the bark so the sides are straight. Cut the bark into 2 by 9-inch (5 by 23 cm) wide strips, then cut the strips into squares or triangles.
• Let the bark stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container, layering sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between the layers so the pieces don't stick to one another, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.