Kiss My Cookie Bark {Peppermint Edition}

I am very spoiled.

Within a five minute drive from my house I have at least three grocery stores, three drugstores, a Target, a Walmart, and a Starbucks or six. But I'm still frustrated.

Because the closest Trader Joe's is at least 15 minutes away, plus more in bad traffic. It's just not fair. I want a Trader Joe's in my city and I want it to be less than five minutes from my house.

Because I love Trader Joe's. (Too much, it seems.)

Since it's so far away, I always stock up when I go there: chicken stock, salsa, dog treats. Peanut butter pretzels, almond butter, and salted caramel sauce.

And at Christmas?

Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. (I stock up on those Hershey's Kisses too...but not at TJ's. I get those at Target. And I buy LOTS OF THEM.)

So here I was, sitting in my living room, being lazy and eating Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. I ate two the first day, three the second, six the third. Then I realized I needed to get rid of them because otherwise I would eat the whole pack.

To stop myself from eating the cookies, I decided to make bark with them.

Because adding semi-sweet chocolate chips,

White chocolate chips,

and Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses to the cookies to avoid all those calories makes so much sense.

At least it makes perfect sense to me, anyway.

But we already know I'm not normal when it comes to food. Or grocery store requirements.

At least making it into bark makes it give-able. Because I can't very well package up some Joe-Joe's without dressing them up first.

The unfortunate thing is that now I need to go back to Trader Joe's. To get more of these cookies, because now I'm out. And to get some regular ones, because I need to make more versions of this bark.

Enjoy!

{Note: There is a print link embedded in the footer of the post. Please visit the post to print.}

Kiss My Cookie Bark {Peppermint Edition}

Ingredients:

20 Peppermint Joe-Joe Cookies (from Trader Joes; or you could use regular Oreos)

30 Candy Cane Hershey’s Kisses

1 package (about 12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package (about 12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Unwrap your Kisses and coarsely chop them. Coarsely chop your cookies.

2.       Melt semi-sweet chips and spread on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle chopped cookies on top and press down with your hands. (Lick hands to clean.)

3.       Melt white chocolate and spread on top of cookies. Sprinkle with chopped Kisses and press down with your hands. (Lick again to clean.)

4.       Chill until hardened. Break apart and enjoy!

{Recipe by CrazyforCrust}

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies {Peppermint Week}

I'm so excited for this week. While going through all the recipes I was planning on making for the holidays, I realized that I had four peppermint recipes. So welcome to Peppermint Week!

See, I really love peppermint. Peppermint ice cream, peppermint with chocolate, cookies, cake, brownies, pie, candy. Bring it on, I love it.

But I don't love candy canes. Or those peppermint candy things you get at restaurants. I love the flavor of peppermint in any and all baked goods, but hand me a stick of the stuff? *Gag*

And yes, I am perfectly aware of my crazy food issues. Condiments, bananas, pudding, candy canes. I know I'm abnormal. I am fully expecting to shell out money not only for braces for my daughter (bad genetics), therapy (for what she will inevitably see as bad mothering), but also for a nutritionist to deal with all the fun food issues I am surely passing on.

You all love me for my quirks, right?

Don't answer that.

Anyway, first up this week: these White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies, inspired by this recipe.

I knew I was going to make these as soon as I saw this in the store:

I don't normally buy store-bought cookie dough because I love making my own, but it has candy canes in it! How could I not buy it???

Mix up your cheesecake filling and chill it. When you're ready to fill, slice your roll of dough and place a teaspoon of the filling on half the slices. Top with the other half and press to seal.

Now, leave lots of room on your cookie sheet. Lots.

These are some seriously big cookies. I'd forgotten how much that cookie dough roll spreads. Massive. But good!

Because there wasn't enough sugar, I topped them with white chocolate and sprinkles.

You can't really see the filling, but it's there. And when you bite into it? Oh, yum.

{Wow, I need a manicure. Hubs, you paying attention?}

I hope you enjoyed the first Peppermint recipe of the week. And if you don't like peppermint...well you love my witty content, right?

Don't answer that either.

Happy Monday!

White Chocolate Cheesecake Peppermint Cookies

by Crazy for Crust (Adapted from Cookies & Cups)

Keywords: peppermint cheesecake cookie

6017304

Ingredients (about 16 very large cookies)

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ cups white chocolate chips, melted
• 1 tube Peppermint Sugar Cookies (Pillsbury)
• 1-2 cups additional white chocolate chips, melted and sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate with a hand-held mixer until combined. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using.
2. When ready to assemble cookies, line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice cookie dough about 1/4” thick and line them up on a cutting board. Place one teaspoon of the chilled filling in the center of half the rounds. Lay the empty cookie dough rounds on top the filled ones and press the edges together. Form it into a patty. Make sure it is sealed. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and repeat with rest of dough. Be sure to place at least 3” apart on baking sheet.
3. Once cookies are all formed, chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake cookies for about 12-16 minutes (mine took 15), rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool completely.
5. If you want to make the cookies fancier, melt the additional white chocolate chips and spread about a tablespoon on each cookie. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if desired.

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This recipe may be linked with:
Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party (Mrs. Fox's Sweets) Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh), Sweet Temptations (Talking Dollars and Cents). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home), Latest & Greatest Friday (Days of Chalk and Chocolate). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff), Moms Crazy Cooking

Peppermint Pattie Place Cards {for a Vampire wedding}

Twilight changed my life.

I know there are two camps of people out there; one of which just took a double take at those words and thought "that lady is crazy!" The other half? Nodded their heads in agreement.  Am I right?

Something about that series of books changed the way I read. It changed what I read. I didn't think it was possible but those books made me want to read even more than I already did.

They made me feel like a 13-year old again, pining away for Joey McIntyre...except now I'm a thirty-something mom and wife pining over a sparkly vampire.

And the only difference between me and those teeny-bopper girls in the movie theater who scream and swoon every time Jacob removes his shirt? I'm adult enough to to let the sound escape my lips.

Needless to say, the release of the first Breaking Dawn movie is a big deal. I already have my ticket, and I'm not going until Sunday.

And you can't see such a monumental movie without a themed treat, right?

Bella and Edward has such a beautiful wedding. I'm sure there was some sort of seating chart; Alice seems like that sort of type-A person. Why shouldn't the place cards be chocolate?

When I realized that Karen at Trilogy Edibles has as big an obsession with the Twilight series that I do, it was a no brainer that we would do themed posts today. Karen has made a beautiful checkerboard cake with browned butter icing and little chess pieces. She's a master, if I do say so myself. I thought about doing chess pieces for about a millisecond before I moved on to other ideas.

My mold came from Sur la Table. These are so easy to make. Once you have your filling mixed, you melt your chocolate. Spread some around the bottom and up the sides of your mold, freeze to harden, then add a little peppermint mixture. Freeze again for just a few minutes, then top it off with more chocolate. Once they are firm you can release them from the mold and add names to the front.

{FYI, Peppermint Extract looks eerily like Mint Extract. But don't make the same mistake I did. You want peppermint extract, NOT mint. Unless you want to eat chocolate covered gum flavor, that is.}

And if you happen to be serving humans and werewolves instead of vampires, or if you think I'm totally crazy for making movie-themed treats and want a non-bloody version, you can use a mini muffin pan (silicone) and leave your filling white. Just as good, not as gross.

So yes, I know the Cullen's don't eat food. But if that food was filled with blood? I bet they'd make an exception.

If you love the Twilight series and are as excited about the Breaking Dawn movie as we are, be sure to go check out Karen's post. It's Cullen mania around here. My shirt is already to go. Team Edward forever!

Peppermint Pattie Place Cards (or candies)
Recipe by Crazy for Crust

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups powdered sugar (more if you want a less runny center)
1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract
1-2 packages chocolate almond bark (buy 2 just in case, start with melting 1 package and add more as needed) or you could use chocolate candy melts
White candy melts (just about 1/4 cup)

Directions:

1. Add sweetened condensed milk to a large bowl. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until thoroughly mixed. Stir in extract.
2. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Add a small spoonful to your mold or mini muffin pan (if you are not using a silicone pan you should use mini muffin liners). Spread chocolate up sides of mold. Tap to settle. Freeze until hardened, about 2 minutes.
3. Spoon a small amount of peppermint filling into center of chocolate shell. Freeze again for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from freezer and top with more chocolate, enough to cover filling. Tap to settle and freeze until hardened. Pop out of mold and repeat until all your chocolate and filling are gone.
4. If you are making place cards, melt white candy melts according to package directions. Place in a small squeeze bottle with a #2 tip attached. Pipe names on each candy. Let dry before stacking.

Note: if you want a less runny center, add more powdered sugar in step 1, until you get the consistency you want.

Have a sparkly weekend!

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff)