Peppermint Brownie Cups

I'm not a huge fan of peppermint but when its in a dessert paired with chocolate, I can easily make an exception.  I've made these for a couple holiday events this season and they are so easy to do.  And very yummy, especially if you like chocolate and peppermint.

This recipe is originally from a Pampered Chef cookbook called Celebrate and they are originally called Tuxedo Brownie cups.  But I made just a couple changes to make them a little more festive for Christmas.

The brownie cups themselves are just a packaged fudge brownie mix plus the ingredients to make cakelike brownies (usually 1/4 water, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs).  Mix the brownie batter like you normally would for brownies.  Then using a mini muffin pan, put a small scoop of brownie batter in each cup, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake for 14 minutes, until edges are set.  Remove from oven to a cooling rack.  Immediately press tops of brownies with a mini tart shaper (or the back of a small spoon or even your thumb) to make indentations.  Let brownies cool completely.

For the topping, melt 2 ounces of white chocolate with 2 TBSP milk for about 1 minute in the microwave.  In a separate bowl, combine 1-8oz package of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Mix well, then gradually stir in the melted white chocolate mixture until smooth.  Fold in 1 cup whipped topping like Cool Whip. For the peppermint version, I also added about a teaspoon of peppermint extract.

If you have a Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator with a star decorating tip, it makes life so much easier for things like this.  If you don't, you'll want something like a icing/decorating bag and a decorating star tip that you attach to it.  Otherwise, you could just use a spoon too but it may not look as pretty.

easy accent decorator from Pampered Chef

So fill your decorator or icing bag or whatever with the topping and pipe out a small dollop on top of each brownie cup.  The original version decorated each cup with a slice of strawberry and a mint leaf.  For my peppermint version I sprinkled crushed peppermint candies.  You could also drizzle with melted chocolate for either version! Then they suggest refrigerating them 1-3 hours before serving.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen and it can easily be halved or doubled for however many you need.  The brownie cups can be made up to 1 day ahead but the topping should not be made until you're ready to pipe it as it will become too hard to decorate with after being in the refrigerator. And a little side note: make sure you grease and flour the muffin pan before putting the batter in.  They can get a little sticky!

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas.  Its evening, the presents have all been opened and so much food was eaten, everyone's relaxing into their comfy pj's and getting ready for bed.  I have so much I want to blog about so I'm hoping to have lots of blogging time over this next week off. But one post at a time...

For today, here's a run down of how our day went.  First hubby and I wake up around 8am, and spend a little time just the 2 of us before the craziness begins.  We opened a couple gifts for each other.  He got me a nice electric tea kettle, which I can't wait to use. And I got him a starter sushi-making kit.  We stop to notice a few snow flurries outside! So pretty! Then we gather up gifts to take to my in-laws house a few streets away.

can you see the tiny snowflakes??

When we arrive, kids are running everywhere, the TV's playing Charlie Brown's New Years, and the kitchen is bustling with activity.  We start by digging in to our traditional Christmas treat...monkey bread!!  We can't have Christmas without it!  So much ooey gooey goodness wrapped in sweet bread and sugar and cinnamon and, of course, tons of melted butter!!

luscious monkey bread

Then we do presents...fun but total chaos!  This year is my youngest niece's 1st Christmas.  Boy, did she make out with the presents!  After presents, more eating, with cheese and ham quiches and cheesy hash brown casserole.

Now its time to run home to grab gifts and food for my family, who live an hour away.  Over the river (almost) and through the woods on top of a mountain (literally), we arrive at my parents house, greeted by their 2 big golden retrievers.  Here again, we feast.  There's only 5 of us but between my mom and I we make enough food for about 20 people. 

Here's what our dinner consisted of...(some of these menu items will be posted with recipes in subsequent blogs to come)...

*cheesy crab bisque

*vegetable beef soup

*cheese and sausage/venison bites

*fancy cheese plate

*garlic and old bay shrimp

*hot crab dip

*venison meatballs

*peppermint brownie cups
*pineapple rum spice cake
*hot wassail

Needless to say, we won't be lacking any leftovers for a couple days. 

After stuffing our faces, we opened a few small gifts and then chatted by the fire, while sipping our wassails and enjoying one another's company.  Now we're back home and the day is done. Another Christmas come and gone.  And we are so abundantly blessed that the Lord has given us such a wonderful family and nice gifts to enjoy!!