CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM & GRASSHOPPER MINT CHEESECAKE FANTASY

Ingredients:

2 (10 oz.) packages Grasshopper Mint Cookies (put through the food processor)

2/3 cup butter, melted

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon mint (not peppermint) extract

1 teaspoon chocolate extract, optional

Green food coloring (add drops as desired) – optional

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

3 quarts (two 1 ½ quart containers) chocolate ice cream , somewhat softened

Andes Mints, crushed (for garnish)

Directions:

Line two 9-inch round cake or springform pans with parchment paper or foil.

Combine grasshopper mint cookie crumbs and melted butter in large bowl.

Place half of the mixture in each springform pan.  

Press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and part way up the sides of the pans.  Chill crust for 5 – 10 minutes in the freezer.  Remove from freezer. Beat the ice cream with a mixer to help make it smoother and easier to work with.  Place 1 ½ quarts chocolate ice cream over the crust in each pan.

No mixer used to smooth ice cream

A mixer was used to smooth ice cream

Return to the freezer.  Meanwhile, begin the grasshopper mint cheesecake layer.  Add the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl.  

Beat until smooth.  Stir in mint extract and chocolate extract.  Mix in green food coloring, optional.  

Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture. 

Pour half of the cheesecake  filling into each pan. 

Garnish with crushed Andes Mints.  

Gently press the Andes Mint crumbles into each cheesecake.  Cover (I use those shower cap looking plastic covers); freeze 12 hours or until firm.  Serve with fudge topping and chocolate whipping cream (see recipe), if desired.

FROZEN GRASSHOPPER MINT CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz.) package Grasshopper Mint Cookies (put through the food processor)

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon mint (not peppermint) extract

2 teaspoons chocolate extract, optional

Green food coloring (add drops as desired) – optional

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Andes Mints, crushed (for garnish)

Directions:

Line a 9-inch round cake or springform pan with parchment paper or foil

Combine grasshopper mint cookie crumbs and melted butter in the springform pan.  

Mix well.  Press crumbs firmly onto the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan.  

Whip the Heavy Whipping Cream.

Chill crust. Add the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl. 

Beat until smooth.  

Stir in mint extract and chocolate extract.  Mix in green food coloring, optional.  

Fold in whipped cream. 

 Pour filling into pan. 

Garnish with crushed Andes Mints.  

Gently press the Andes Mint crumbles into cheesecake.  
Cover (I use those shower cap looking plastic covers); freeze 6 hours or until firm.  Serve with fudge topping, chocolate ice cream and chocolate whipping cream (see recipe), if desired.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TOFFEE BARS

Ingredients:

Chocolate layers (layers 1 and 4):

2 lbs.  melted chocolate (use premium chocolate – Nestle does not temper well), divided

3 oz. slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

Toffee -  layer 2:

1 ½ cups butter

1 ½ cups sugar

4 ½ tablespoons water

4 tablespoons malted milk powder, divided (the malted milk powder helps the candy layers to stick together)

Caramel -  layer 3:

½ cup caramel ice cream topping (or melted caramels)

Directions:

Melt  12 oz. chocolate in or heavy saucepan or double boiler.  Add in toasted slivered almonds (optional).

Slivered Almonds ready to Toast

Melted Chocolate with Almonds

Spread 2 cups melted  chocolate in a prepared 13 X 9 inch baking pan (lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray.) 

Prepared 13 X 9 inch baking dish with sprayed parchment paper

Chocolate layer with toasted almonds

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons malted milk powder. 

Malted Milk Powder on top of chocolate layer

Let set in refrigerator (about 10 minutes).   In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine butter, sugar, and water. 

Toffee Ingredients ready to boil

Cook over medium heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290 degree F (soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes. Mixture should boil at a steady rate over the entire surface. (Adjust heat as necessary so that mixture does not boil over.)

Remove from heat; remove thermometer. Pour mixture quickly over chocolate layer.

Toffee Layer

Let sit for a few minutes.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons malted milk powder over toffee.  

Toffee Layer with Malted Milk Powder

Pour caramel ice cream topping over toffee. 

Caramel Layer

Place in freezer and Freeze for 1 hour.  Melt approximately 4 cups chocolate and pour over Caramel layer. 

Chocolate over Caramel

Final Chocolate Layer

Cool about 1 hour before breaking into pieces. 

Set and ready to Cut in Pieces

Ready to Serve