peppermint Archives - Simply Made Recipes

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars

Amber — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 17:09:55 +0000

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars are a delightful dessert made with cream cheese, heavy cream, peppermint extract, OREO cookies, butter, a little sugar and Andes Peppermint Crunch candies.

A Covid Christmas will be different than others and I am loving the idea of individual desserts. They are perfect for small gatherings because they are beautiful, fun and you are also staying away from anything “shareable” which, like many, I have been trying to do as much as possible. The recipe instructions below are for 4 dessert jars but can easily be multiplied to accommodate however many you may need.

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars each have the perfect amount cheesecake filling with a touch of peppermint, a nice chocolate OREO crumb base and a fluffy whipped topping on each. Garnish with some Andes Peppermint Crunch candies for a little extra peppermint flavoring and to make these desserts irresistible to dip that spoon into.

Tips & Tricks

Cream Cheese

It is important that the cream cheese is set out for a little bit before mixing the cheesecake. Cold cream cheese can get a little lumpy and the goal is a nice, creamy cheesecake consistency. So, just be patient and let the cream cheese warm up for about an hour on the counter.

Whipped Topping

If this is your first time making homemade whipped topping, the biggest tip to share is to place your bowl and beaters/whisk into the freezer for about 10 minutes before creating the whipped topping. Beat the heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract to a stiff peak. A stiff peak means the mixture is really fluffy and will stand up firmly on its own when the beaters are lifted.

Jars

I love the Weck brand for mini glass jars but any brand will do. These particular jars I used today hold about 7.4 ounces so look for something similar to hold between 7-8 ounces. Jam and yogurt jars are easy to find and should hold the right amount for this recipe.

The jars I used:

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars

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Author: Amber
Total Time: 10
Yield: 4 1x

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Description

No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars are a delightful dessert made with cream cheese, heavy cream, peppermint extract, OREO cookies, butter, a little sugar and Andes Peppermint Crunch candies.

Ingredients

Crumb

12 OREO cookies
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, brought to room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons peppermint extract (I used one and a half. 1 teaspoon will be a nice hint of peppermint and 2 will very present)
5 drops red food coloring (optional)

Whipped Topping

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish

6 Andes Peppermint Crunch candies (candy canes can be crushed and substituted)

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Instructions

Crumb

Melt the butter. Popping it into the microwave in a small bowl for about 10 seconds will do the trick.
Crush the OREO cookies. Place OREOs into a large ziploc bag and pound the cookies down with a rolling pin or place into a food processor until you have crumb. I like the bag method for less dishes to clean.
Mix the OREO crumbs with the melted butter and place into each jar. I used a wooden muddler to gently squish down the crumbs but the back of a spoon would also work.

Cheesecake Filling

Let the cream cheese sit on the counter for a little bit to warm up.
Use a hand or stand mixer to beat the cream and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the peppermint extract and some red food coloring. Beat again.
Set to the side to make the whipped topping.
Once the whipped topping is complete, add HALF of it to the cream cheese mixture by using a spatula to fully blend it in.
Place the cheesecake filling into a pastry bag, make a large opening and squeeze an even amount into each jar.

Whipped Topping

Place a bowl and beaters/whisk into freezer for about 10 minutes to get nice and cold.
Remove from freezer and assemble hand mixer. A regular whisk can be used if you want to put some work into it.
Beat the heavy cream, vanilla extract and confectioners sugar until it has formed a stiff peak meaning that the whipped topping will stand up firmly on its own when the beaters are removed.
Use HALF of the whipped topping inside the cheesecake filling (step #4 in cheesecake section).
Use the other half as topping in each jar.

Garnish

Place a peppermint candy on top of each jar.
Chop up the leftover candies to sprinkle on top.
Place the completed jars into fridge for at least 3 hours before serving so the cheesecake layer can set up.

Prep Time: 10
Category: Dessert
Method: No Bake

Are you having a downsized Christmas this year? Let me know about in the comments below!

The post No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake Jars appeared first on Simply Made Recipes.

Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amber — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:06:00 +0000

Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with basic baking ingredients, white chocolate chips and crushed candy cane bits for a festive treat even Santa wants to sneak in this holiday season.

Cookies are made a lot in my home this time of year! Between the holidays and gatherings with co-workers or friends and cookie exchanges and treats for the kids- a whole lot of cookies are being baked. These Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect for any holiday occasion but we especially love these for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies are everything you love in a cookie. These are soft and chewy with chocolate bites and the added candy cane on top give them another layer of flavor and extra color to brighten up your holiday.

Let’s get baking!

Start by crushing the candy canes into bits. I do this by placing the candy into a storage bag and paddling them with a rolling pin. Set them to the side while you mix the cookie dough.

In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until creamy and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat again and then add salt.

Dissolve the baking soda in some hot water and add to batter. Beat while slowly adding in the flour. Once you have a good consistency, fold in the chocolate chips and place the cookie dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a cookie scoop to place batter onto baking sheet giving space between each cookie. Place candy cane bits on the top of each cookie. I like to just dunk the top of the cookie into the bag of crushed candy canes and place back onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack and serve. Make sure to place the cookie dough back in the refrigerator between batches to stay cool.

Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Author: Amber
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen 1x

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Description

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
11 ounces white chocolate chips
5 candy canes

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Instructions

Place candy canes into ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin or something similar to crush the candy canes. Save for later.
In a large mixing bowl, add softened hutter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until creamy and smooth.
Add vanilla extract and eggs. Beat again.
Add salt.
In a seperate bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water and then add to dough. Use mixer to beat while slowly adding in flour.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Place dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Use a cookie scoop to place dough onto baking sheet giving space between each to bake.
Place crushed candy canes on top of each cookie. I like to just dip the top of each cookie dough ball into the bag of crushed candy canes and place back onto baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Cool on cooling rack.

Prep Time: 35
Cook Time: 10
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven

What are you go-to cookies for Santa? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Candy Cane White Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Simply Made Recipes.

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Amber — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 21:43:27 +0000

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate is made with candy cane vodka, chocolate chunks, milk, vanilla extract and condensed milk topped with whipped cream and crushed candy canes.

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate was created to use up the rest of our candy cane vodka from those Candy Cane Infused Vodka Chocolate Martinis a couple weeks back. We are not big drinkers so alcohol lasts forever around here and I wanted to create another drink with that delicious candy cane infused vodka!

This recipe is great on a chilly December day and ….

1) tastes amazing

2) you can treat the kids their hot chocolate while the adults get their spiked version with candy cane infused vodka. Mom win right there.

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate with candy cane infused vodka that has a nice peppermint flavor that is swirled into the creamy hot chocolate. It warms your soul and makes the taste buds happy. Fa-la-la-la-yum-oh! You can also try white chocolate in this recipe for a pretty pinkish colored beverage.

Candy Cane Vodka

A few hours before making a Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate, you will need to infuse the vodka. Decide how much you will need. Let us go with liter measurements today. Pick out a liter of vodka. Higher quality vodkas will infuse better and make the overall drink taste smoother. For one liter of vodka, you will want 16 tiny candy canes. Unwrap each candy cane and put into vodka bottle. Put the vodka bottle to the side and let the candy cane flavor infuse. Shake well before using. Never use a plastic container for infusing vodka, you will also infuse the plastic taste. Nobody wants a plastic flavored anything. So, if you are transferring the vodka into another container to infuse, make sure it is glass, like a mason jar.

Check out how to make Candy Cane Infused Vodka here.

How Much Vodka To Add

Instructions state 1 to 3 ounces of candy cane vodka per hot chocolate serving. Add the amount you want depending on how much peppermint you want in your hot chocolate and how much liquor you would want. 1 ounce equals a small shot and 3 ounces would be equivalent to two shots.

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

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Author: Amber
Total Time: 9 minutes
Yield: 5 1x

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Description

Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate is made with candy cane vodka, chocolate chunks, milk, vanilla extract and condensed milk topped with whipped cream and crushed candy canes.

Ingredients

Candy cane vodka ( 1-3 ounces per drink)
14 ounces condensed milk
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips
Whipped cream
Candy cane garnish

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Instructions

Infuse the vodka. Full instructions here.
ON the stove top, bring milk, condensed milk, vanilla extract and chocolate chunks to low boil. Whisk often so chocolate doesnt stick to pan.
Remove from heat.
Pour into mugs.
Add 1 to 3 ounces candy cane vodka to each.
Add whipped cream and some crushed candy canes on top.

Prep Time: 3
Cook Time: 6
Category: Drinks
Method: Stove top

The post Spiked Candy Cane Hot Chocolate appeared first on Simply Made Recipes.