Chocolate and Peppermint Creams

I have not tried any 'new food' of late as I don't want to be making for one. I have been very happy with salads, especially when the weather is hot. Also, after so much food at Christmas, I just want light meals. It's school holidays and as Isobel loves to bake, that's what we did today, I wasn't really in the mood to venture out. I do have a feeling that Spencer helped a little more than Isobel did, he likes to tell me what number the mixer should be on. I will be getting back into my 'new food' soon.

Ingredients

150g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa, sifted (I didn't have Dutch cocoa, so just had to use the normal cocoa)
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
200g dark chocolate, chopped

Peppermint Cream

2 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 tablespoons milk

Place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in an electric mixer and beat for 8-10 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the flour, cocoa, bicarb soda and beat until a smooth dough forms. Add the chocolate pieces and mix well until combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

Preheat oven to 180°. Roll 1 tablespoonful of the dough into balls at a time. Place on baking trays lined with non stick baking paper and flatten slightly, leaving room to spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are cracked. Allow to cool on wire racks.

To make the peppermint cream, place the icing sugar, peppermint extract and milk in a bowl and beat with a hand held electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Spread half the biscuits with the peppermint cream and sandwich with remaining biscuits. Makes 18.

Mine were slightly bigger than they should have been, so I only made 13, instead of the 18.



This recipe comes from Donna Hay Magazine Issue 60 Dec/Jan 2012.