Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

So now that we’ve all had our fill of guilty pleasures this holiday season, left regretting every decision that seemed like a ‘good one at the time’, I encourage you to continue on your downward spiral and overindulge at least until the first of the year. We’ll all make resolutions that we’ll conveniently forget come March so let’s all throw caution to the wind and start baking!! Who’s with me? No? Oh, come on!!

Well, those of you who truly think this is a good idea, I’m going to start with my favorite cookie recipe of this season. Yes, it is a Christmas cookie but I try to hang on to the Christmas spirit as long as I possibly can. When all the toys and gifts are open, wrapping paper is everywhere, and the kids are running around playing, I just sit and think “All that work and now it’s all over.” Not this year!! Grab those candy canes off the tree and get your frustration out by smacking the crap out of them! Check this out…

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Recipe from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)
• 2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Instruction

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.
• Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.
• Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.
• Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.
• Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

Family dinners have always been one of my fondest memories growing up. Every night we would gather around the table and poke fun at one another. Dad would always leave a souvenir on his shirt and one of the family members would be the butt of almost every joke for the evening. It was a time for us to connect together and leave our day behind us.

Thanksgiving was always a heightened version of these hysterical events. Adding more people in the mix only added to the playful bickering and the laughter grew louder the more we ate. You could always tell a new-comer by the various shades of red they would turn.

Mom would always make too much food and there was always room left for Key’s (that’s me) Pies. This year I wanted to do something different so I tried this recipe from Gourmet. I mean, how can you go wrong with cheese and apples???  Enjoy!

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 40 min

total time: 5 1/2 hr (includes chilling dough and cooling pie)

For pastry:

·         2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·         1/2 teaspoons salt

·         1/2 pound extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), coarsely grated (2 1/2 cups)

·         1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening (trans-fat-free), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         6 to 8 tablespoon ice water

·         1 tablespoon milk

For filling:

·         1 1/2 pound Gala apples (3 medium)

·         1 1/2 pound Granny Smith apples (3 medium)

·         2/3 cup sugar

·         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Make pastry dough: 
Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.

Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make filling and bake pie: 
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.

Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round.

Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.

Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Cooks' note: Dough can be chilled up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months.