Chocolate Mint Parfaits Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, extract and remaining milk. Fold in whipped topping. , Spoon half of the pudding into four parfait glasses. Top with half of cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Garnish with candies if desired.

Steps:

• Beat pudding mix, milk and extract with whisk 2 min.
• Whisk COOL WHIP and food coloring until blended.
• Layer pudding alternately with COOL WHIP in 6 parfait glasses. Refrigerate 15 min.

Steps:

• Using 4 parfait glasses or cocktail glasses, pour 1/2 a shot of creme de menthe into each glass. Top with scoops of mint chocolate ice cream, then drizzle another 1/2 a shot per parfait of creme de menthe over ice cream. Garnish parfaits with mint candy and fresh mint sprigs.

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to two dessert dishes. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Whisk 2 cups milk with the pudding mix for 2 minutes.
• In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, mint, and remaining milk.
• Fold in whipped topping.
• In dessert glasses, layer pudding and cream cheese mixtures.

Steps:

• Make the chocolate mixture: Place chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan, and pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes, and stir until completely melted and smooth. Set aside.
• Place egg yolk and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until light and frothy, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Place sugar, corn syrup, and the water (do not stir) in a small saucepan set over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 245 degrees. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. With mixer on low, slowly pour sugar mixture into eggs; mix until combined mixture is room temperature, about 2 minutes.
• In another bowl, whip remaining 1/3 cup cream to soft peaks. Fold into egg mixture, and fold in chocolate. Fill 3-ounce plastic cups one-third full. Place in freezer until firm, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper; cover with plastic wrap, and return to freezer for at least 1 hour.
• Make the mint mixture: Prepare an ice bath, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; quickly blanch fresh mint 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath to stop cooking and preserve bright color; let cool completely. Remove from ice bath, and place on paper towels; gently squeeze to extract excess water. Set aside.
• Place sugar, corn syrup, dried mint, and the water (do not stir) in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until a candy thermometer registers 245 degrees. Wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Remove from heat; let cool.
• Add blanched fresh mint; transfer to the jar of a blender. Blend until mixture is a smooth paste, about 3 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve back into saucepan. Place over medium heat, and gently reheat 2 to 4 minutes. Place egg yolks and egg in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until light and frothy, about 4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour sugar mixture into eggs; continue mixing until combined mixture is room temperature, about 5 minutes.
• In another clean bowl, whip cream to soft peaks; fold into egg mixture with a rubber spatula. Fill 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups halfway, and place frozen chocolate mixture in the center of each. Level with remaining mint parfait mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in freezer until completely set, 5 to 6 hours. Store in freezer up to 1 month.
• To serve, unmold parfaits onto serving plates, and garnish with chocolate sauce and candied mint leaves, if desired.

Steps:

• To prepare the dark chocolate cream, heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate broken into pieces in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap and allow to heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed. Place 2 1/2 cups heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a hand whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.
• Transfer the dark chocolate cream to a stainless steel bowl. Tightly cover the top with film wrap and refrigerate until needed. To prepare the cocoa cream, place 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar, the cocoa and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip. Mix on medium until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cocoa cream to a stainless steel bowl. Tightly cover the top with film wrap and refrigerate until needed. To prepare the speckled chocolate cream, place the remaining 2 cups heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a well-chilled balloon whip. Mix on high until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the 4 ounces grated chocolate. Transfer the cream to a stainless steel bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before assembling the parfaits.
• To assemble the parfaits, fill a pastry bag (without a tip) with the dark chocolate cream. Pipe an even layer of about 1/2 cup of the cream into each of the brandy snifters. Then fill a clean pastry bag with the cocoa cream and pipe an even layer of it onto the layer of dark chocolate cream. For the final layer of cream, fill a clean pastry bag with the speckled chocolate cream and pipe an even layer of the cream onto the cocoa cream. Refrigerate the parfaits until just a few minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Beat pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.)
• Stir in COOL WHIP.
• Layer pudding mixture, cookie crumbs and berries in 6 parfait glasses.

Steps:

• Make candied mint:
• Remove the large leaves from the mint (about 30 leaves). If desired, reserve 10 sprigs for garnish; reserve the remaining mint for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 200°F (or to warm, depending on the oven). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a shallow bowl, gently whisk the egg whites. Spread the sugar in another shallow bowl. Dip the mint leaves one at a time in the egg whites, shaking off the excess, then dip in the sugar, turning to coat well on both sides, and place on the baking sheets in a single layer.
• Bake the leaves until thoroughly dry and crisp (2-1/2 hours should be enough). Let cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks, then transfer to an airtight container until ready to use.
• Make the parfait:
• Coarsely chop the candied mint; set aside. (You should have about 3/4 cup.)
• Lightly grease a 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 3/4-inch metal loaf pan (using a pan of these exact dimensions is not critical, as long as you approximate the dimensions). Line the pan with plastic wrap so that the plastic extends about 1 inch beyond the rim of the pan.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a gentle boil over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate, then whisk gently until smooth. Transfer the ganache to a large bowl and set aside.
• In a chilled large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at medium speed, whip the remaining 1 1/3 cups cream until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.
• In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissovles. Using a clean pastry brush dipped in warm water, wash down the side of the pan to remove any sugar crystals. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil the syrup for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it registers 249° F on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, when the syrup reaches 235° F, start preparing the egg yolks.
• In the 4 1/4-quart bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg yolks for about 5 minutes, until thick, pale, and almost tripled in volume.
• When the syrup registers 249° F, immediately remove it from the heat. While beating the egg yolks at medium speed, gradually pour the syrup in a slow, steady stream near the side of the bowl onto the yolks. Continue beating for 5-8 minutes, until the mixture is completely cool. If necessary, using a wire whisk, whisk the whip cream until, soft peaks form again. Using a large rubber spatula, fold a few tablespoons of the whipped cream into the ganache. Gradually fold in the remaining whipped cream, then gently fold in the cooled egg yolk mixture. Fold in the chopped candied mint. Scrape the parfait mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze overnight. ( The parfait can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)
• Make the chocolate sauce:
• Combine the cocoa powder and chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Pour the syrup over the cocoa, mixture and let stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate, then whisk gently until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The sauce can be made up to a day ahead; whisk gently until completely smooth before serving.)
• Unmold the parfait:
• Cover a 9 1/2 x 5-inch cardboard rectangle with aluminum foil. Remove the parfait from the freezer and unwrap the pan. Place the foil-covered rectangle on top of the loaf pan, invert the pan onto the cardboard and lift off the pan. (If necessary, reinvert the pan and tug gently on the overhanging plastic wrap to release the parfait from the pan, then invert onto the cardboard again.) If the parfait does not seem to be budging, take a sponge with hot water and run it along all sides of the pan. Place the still-wrapped parfait in the freezer until ready to serve.
• To serve, spoon or drizzle some of the sauce onto each plate. With a very sharp thin-bladed knife, cut the parfait into 10 slices, wiping the blade clean between each slice. Garnish each plate with a small mint sprig if desired, and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Fold white chocolate chunks into dark chocolate ice cream in large bowl. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
• Bring 3/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in cocoa. Add butter. Stir over low heat until mixture is smooth. Add both sugars, corn syrup and salt. Stir over low heat until sugars dissolve, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. (Dark chocolate ice cream and sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Keep ice cream frozen. Cover sauce and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce over low heat.)
• Drizzle some warm chocolate sauce into bottom of 6 parfait glasses or wineglasses. Place 1 scoop mint chip ice cream in each glass. Spoon some chocolate sauce over ice cream. Spoon dark chocolate ice cream, then mint chip ice cream into glasses, spooning some sauce over each layer. Sprinkle dried cherries over. Garnish parfaits with fresh mint.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350. Grease 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan.
• In large bowl, combine all base ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press in bottom of prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool slightly. In large bowl, combine dissolved gelatin and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add 1/2 cup butter, shortening, peppermint extract and food coloring. beat 1 minute at medium speed or until smooth and creamy. Blend in remaining 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth. Spread filling evenly over cooled base.
• In small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and 3 tb butter, stirring constantly until well blended. Spoon frosting over filling, carefully spreading to cover. Refrigerate until firm, cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.
• Tip. for easier cutting, remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before serving.