Peppermint patties

'Scuse the overexposed Instagram, please. Consider it proof that everything looks particularly hideous under the glare of under-cabinet lights. Unless you're super organized, Christmas treat-making is just not conducive to pretty pictures for blogging. Butter and sugar is flying at all hours of the day in this here candy factory, with many finished projects emerging long after the sun has set.

Peppermint patties have been on my list of confections to try for ages. I've long been a fan of the Cadbury Pep and, to a lesser extent, Junior Mints, so a homemade version was a no-brainer. What stopped me all of these years was the chocolate dipping. Everything I've ever dipped in chocolate has been a hideous disaster. These were a half exception. Thanks to a dying candy thermometer battery, my attempt at tempering the chocolate failed miserably. So, the smooth, glossy stars you see above morphed into a dull, speckled grey overnight. Taste-wise, however, these peppermint patties were spot on.

Members of my family will be finding short stacks of peppermint stars in their stockings this year, along with variations on:

Chocolate Fudge (Fine Cooking)
Coffee Toffee (Smitten Kitchen)
Pretzel & Nut Mix (David Lebovitz.com)

Peppermint Patties
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
pinch of salt
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or coating chocolate), coarsely chopped

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups of icing sugar with the corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening and a pinch of salt. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed just until combined.

Dust your counter with the remaining 1/4 cup of icing sugar. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead until smooth.

Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper into a 7- or 8-inch round (less than 1/4-inch thick). Freeze until firm (about 20 minutes).

Remove the top sheet of paper and sprinkle the round with icing sugar. Replace the top sheet, flip the round over and repeat the process on the other side.

Use a small cookie cutter (roughly 1-inch in diameter) to cut as many shapes as possible, transferring the cutouts to the prepared cookie sheet. Freeze the shapes until firm (about 15 minutes). Meanwhile, gather the scraps, re-roll and freeze the dough, and then cut out more shapes to chill.

While the shapes are hanging out in the freezer, temper the 10 ounces of chocolate by following the instructions at the Epicurious.com link below or by using another approach that has worked well for you in the past. Or, if you're scared and/or willing to sacrifice a little on taste, avoid the tempering process and use coating chocolate instead.

Balance a frozen peppermint cutout on a fork and completely submerge it in the melted chocolate. Lift it up and let the excess chocolate drip off, scraping the back of the fork against the rim of the bowl if necessary. Return the coated cutout to the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat. Let the coated cutouts stand until the chocolate has set.

Store chilled, layered between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container, for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Source: Epicurious.com, originally published in Gourmet in December 2007.

Notes: I doubled the quantity of peppermint extract, from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, and made stars instead of rounds.

Cinnamon-frosted pumpkin rolls

I'm here to make your Sunday morning awesome, but it involves you doing a bit of work before bed on Saturday night. You in?

What about now?


That's what I thought.

Cinnamon-Frosted Pumpkin Rolls

Dough:
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
2 1/4 teaspoons quick-rise yeast
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Filling:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Frosting:
115 grams cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2-3 cups icing sugar

On Saturday evening, combine the warm water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam. Meanwhile, grease a 9 x 13-inch pan (I like to use Pyrex) and set it aside.

Stir in the milk, egg, pumpkin puree, melted butter, 1 1/4 cups of flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes.

Slowly add the remaining 2 cups of flour, a little at a time, until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Alright, get kneading and don't stop until you have a smooth, elastic dough that bounces back when poked. (A blissful Sunday morning and a workout, rolled into one. What more could you possibly want from me?)

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the entire ball of dough with oil/butter/grease of your choice. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, get cracking on that filling. In a small bowl, whisk together the white and brown sugars, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Set side.

When the dough is ready, gently roll it out into a 16 x 12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle the sugar/spice mixture on top.

Beginning at one of the long edges of your rectangle, roll the dough into a log. When you get to the end, pinch the dough along the length of the log to seal the sugar/spice mixture inside.

Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 15 slices. Remember that pan you greased earlier. Find it again and place each slice, swirl side up, in the pan (5 evenly spaced rows of 3, or 3 evenly spaced rows of 5—same difference).

Almost there...

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, put it in the refrigerator and breathe a sigh of relief before heading off to bed.

On Sunday morning, before you hop in the shower, pour your orange juice or even turn on the coffee machine, take your pumpkin rolls, cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator.

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan, cover the rolls with a tea towel and move them to a warm place while you get ready for the day. Oh, and start preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit while you're at it. Just leave that cream cheese and butter on the counter for now.

Go about your business—dressing and the like. Ready?

OK, remove the towel, toss the pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the rolls are golden.

While that's going on, beat together the cream cheese and (hopefully soft) butter. Add the vanilla, lemon juice and cinnamon, then 2 cups of icing sugar. Continue adding icing sugar until the desired consistency is reached.

When your pumpkin rolls are done, remove them from the oven.Think about letting them cool, but decide against it. Ice them immediately, then watch as frosting puddles form. Burn your tongue. Shrug your shoulders. That's what Sundays are for.

Source: Adapted slightly from GoodLife Eats.

Pumpkin cake with brown butter frosting

Hoo boy. I don't know what your November was like, but mine came and went in a flash. Clearly. All I have to show for it is one measly blog post. I would be feeling more sheepish except one of the main reasons for my lacklustre blogging performance was a project I've been meaning to do for a few years now, something on my Things-That-Never-Get-Done-But-Really-Should list. Yes, for better or worse, I'm back to lists. And yes, for better or worse, that list really exists.

Checking something off the TTNGDBRS list is about 100 times more gratifying than checking something off my usual to-do list—and the satisfaction sticks around much longer. It makes me want to stand up straighter, speak like I know what I'm talking about and tackle the next TTNGDBRS. Almost.

While I'm working on that, you can get started on this pumpkin cake. It's a single layer (perfect for the workweek), but frosted (a little pre-holiday panache). If you want to kick things up one more notch, then get candying those walnuts too.

Back later this week with another pumpkin treat that's perfect for a lazy (and preferably snowy) weekend morning.

Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Frosting  

Cake: 
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup warm milk 

Frosting:
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons milk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper, then re-grease and flour the pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In a second bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin puree and milk and beat until smooth. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 55 minutes). Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

Carefully loosen the cake from the pan and flip it out onto the wire rack to cook completely before frosting.

To prepare the frosting, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is nut-brown in color (about 10 minutes). Pour the browned butter into a bowl, leaving any burned bits behind.

Add the icing sugar, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk, a little at a time, until the mixture is spreadable. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, then frost your cake already!

Source: Martha Stewart, via Shutterbean. Adapted ever so slightly.  

Notes: I started to get nervous when Tracy from Shutterbean said, "The icing is a snap to work with. There's not a lot of it. That's ok! You don't really need much." Hold the phone. I like frosting, so I made 1.5 times what the recipe calls for above.