Christmas cupcakes

Could you be having a week like mine? The kind where you are so busy that every second is scheduled and crammed with things that NEED to get done? Could you also, like me, decide that making cupcakes, just because they're yummy, is a good idea? Then you should be my friend, cuz I like people who think that baking chocolate is always top priority.

I don't have a recipe to share for these ones. I actually never measure my frosting recipe. I know what goes in it of course, and I promise that someday soon I will actually sit and figure out the measurements for the frosting. It is actually really yummy. 

So..... If you want to make some christmasy cupcakes, do what I did:

Step 1. Ignore your responsibilities and children for the morning.

Step 2.  Make your favourite chocolate cupcakes. (double it because cake is yummy, and you should eat more than your fair share)

Step 3. Make your favourite frosting recipe. Add some peppermint extract.

Step 4. Sprinkle sugar crystals and crushed candy canes over the top.

Step 5. Eat several of them before the kids come downstairs and try to eat them.  You are the one who made them, you should benefit from your hard work. You might want to leave them one each... I guess...if you're nicer than I am.

-Leah

Peppermint hot chocolate soft serve ice cream

I am crazy for ice cream.  Like,  the song should go, "I scream, I scream, I scream for ice cream." Never mind everyone else. Actually, my sisters could be included in that. Not a visit with each other goes by without a trip to the store searching for the best ice cream we can find.

If I ask my husband what kind of ice cream we have in the freezer, and he replies, "vanilla", I tell him that doesn't count.  Don't get me wrong, vanilla is great with things, but on it's own, it just doesn't excite me.  So, last night, after my husband rolled his eyes at me (because he insists that vanilla ice cream is still ice cream), I decided that instead of getting out of my pajamas and venturing to the store, I would try and turn that ol' vanilla into qualifiable ice cream. 

Since it is Christmas time, and it is morally wrong to use flavors that are not reminiscent of the season, I got out the two things that I have been living off of lately.  Hot chocolate powder, and peppermint coffee creamer.  I threw it together, whipped it up, and voila. The perfect remedy. Peppermint hot chocolate ice cream. (of course since I beat it with my hand mixer, it turned it creamy, like soft-serve).

Want to make some of your own? Well, here you go:

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup hot chocolate powder

2 Tbsp. peppermint coffee creamer

1 candy cane (optional)

Throw the whole shebang into a bowl, and beat with a hand mixer. Put it in your favourite christmasy bowl, and top with candy cane bits. (which I like to put in a sandwich baggie, and whack it with a rolling pin).

Eat it. All of it. And be happy......cuz you will be.

-Leah

Peppermint Dark and White Chocolate Bark

Once, a few years ago, my sister-in-law and I were all set to do some Christmas baking. Aprons on, oven on, Christmas music on. Ready, set, go. She has an out-of-this-world candy cane cookie recipe. We had the dough mixed up, ready for the candy. So, I opened the box of candy canes, rolling pin in hand, ready to smash them all to bits. Which I did. For some reason, I love smashing things. Like in Super Smash Brothers. But that's a different story.

Anyhoo, during the candy cane smashing process, some candy wound up in my mouth. I don't really know how it happened. BUT- it wasn't peppermint. They sure looked like candy canes, the box definitely said peppermint on it. but there was no flavour. It was just sugar. No mint. I tasted another cane. No mint. The whole box was like this. It was bizarre, I suppose they just forgot to add the flavouring. I wonder how many boxed turned out that that. So now, out of habit I suppose, I always check my candy canes before using them. These ones are definitely peppermint. Make sure yours are too!

Peppermint Bark

12 ounces dark chcolate, chopped
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 box peppermint candy canes, crushed

-Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil
-In a double boiler, melt dark chocolate. Mix in about half of the candy canes. Spread in bottom of the pan. Let chocolate cool until not quite hardened. If you're in a hurry, stick in the fridge, or outside if it's cold enough. I put mine on the deck.

-Melt white chocolate. Pour over the dark. Sprinkle with remaining candy canes. Run a butter knife over top to create a marbled effect. Let harden completely. Break into pieces.

-Jessica