Chocolate And Peppermint Stars Recipes

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT STARS

Steps:

• Make Cookies:
• Make Buttery Sugar Cookie dough as directed, but reduce the flour to 1 1/3 cups and add the cocoa. Whisk the flour and cocoa together.
• Halve dough and wrap each half in wax paper, shaping each into a flattened rectangle, then store each half in a resealable plastic bag. Chill dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• While oven heats, roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining dough chilled) between two large sheets of wax paper to slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. (If dough becomes too soft to roll out, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Peel back top sheet of wax paper and cut out as many cookies with cutter as possible. Transfer cookies, as cut, to a lined baking sheet, arranging them 1 inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft to remove the cookies, quick-chill on a baking sheet in the freezer or chill in the refrigerator until firm.)
• Gather, reroll, and chill scraps to form more cookies.
• Freeze or chill cut-out cookies on baking sheet until firm before baking.
• Bake cookies, one sheet at time, until edges are a shade darker and centers are set, 9 to 12 minutes. For picture-perfect cookies, use cookie cutters while cookies are hot from the oven to trim edges. (Keep trimmings for snacks.) Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough. (Cool baking sheets and use fresh parchment between batches.)
• Decorate Cookies:
• Using the offset spatula or a small rubber spatula, spread cooled cookies with a thin layer of melted chocolate, then sprinkle with some crushed candy canes.
• Let cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter with confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Divide dough into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with one disk at a time (keeping the other refrigerated), roll out on lightly floured parchment to a scant 1/8 inch. Cut out 60 rounds total with a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter. Chill and reroll scraps (if dough becomes too soft, freeze 15 minutes). Use a 1/2-inch fluted round cutter to cut out centers of half of rounds. Arrange rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush.
• Bake, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies on sheetsto a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Place chocolate in a heatproofbowl. Heat cream in a smallsaucepan over medium-highuntil just bubbling around edges.Remove from heat; stir in peppermintextract. Pour mixtureover chocolate; let stand 10minutes, then stir until smooth.Let stand, stirring occasionally,until firm enough to spread,about 30 minutes.
• Spread 1 teaspoon filling oneach uncut cookie; top withcut cookies. Sprinkle choppedcandies in window of eachtop cookie. Refrigerate until set,about 20 minutes. Assembledcookies can be stored in refrigerator up to 2 days.