Monthly Feature
Carrie’s got you covered with an awesome dessert recipe (and this one’s perfect for the holidays)!
Peppermint Mousse
I used the following recipe. Next time, I would make half of the recipe for the 30 cups that the brownie mix makes.
http://www.fabfrugalfood.com/desserts/amazingly-easy-and-elegant-holiday-dessert-recipe-peppermint-mousse-chocolate-layer-cake-recipe/
To make brownie cups:
Preheat oven to 350º. Generously grease mini muffin tins (a boxed brownie mix intended for a 9×13 pan will make 30 mini muffin cups).
Choose your favorite brownie mix. **Beware! Although I believe that Ghiradelli makes THE BEST boxed brownie mix, it does not work well for this recipe because the brownies are too chewy. Choose a more basic mix or you’ll be cursing me when these little suckers won’t come out of the pan!** Make brownies according to package directions. Fill mini muffin tins ¾ full and bake for 15 minutes. Allow brownies to cool for 3-5 minutes and then press down the center to make a well for your filling. Allow cups to cool for 10-15 more minutes and then remove from pans.
The taste: This dessert tastes like the holidays! The peppermint mousse is light and not too sweet with little crunchies throughout from the peppermints. And with the chewiness of the brownie, all of your textural bases are covered. A few of these little gems and a big glass of milk and you can almost hear the angels singing!
The ease: The mousse is super easy. The only trick with the brownies is baking them just right and trying to get them out of the pans. Well-greased pans and perfect timing will ensure that no bad words fly around your kitchen. By the way, do not make the mousse too far in advance…keeping it in the fridge results in a lumpy texture (I think it’s the white chocolate re-solidifying) and makes the peppermints lose their crunch.
The fat-assness: This is really up to you. They’re so small that one or two are totally within the not-going-to-kill-you category. However, it’s easy to keep popping these little guys in your mouth every time you walk by the plate. Control, friends…control.
The clean up: Two bowls, your mixer, and the mini muffin tins. The tins are a bit of a pain in the arse to clean, but this is the price you have to pay for a pretty, yummy dessert.
The verdict: I love desserts that are easy to eat at the holidays, especially for buffet-style meals, and these fit the bill. A delicious, festive dessert. It’ll be back next year, if not before!
The tip: Ever try to use a pastry bag and end up with a giant mess? Filling the bag or decorating can often result in the bag’s contents squirting of out of the top of the bag, making a mess before you’ve even gotten started. The solution? Lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Put filling inside, roll up and knot the end. Now you have a perfect little package to load into your pastry bag with no mess! Don’t have a pastry bag? You can always use a plastic food storage bag with a hole cut in the corner.
