Page 394 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

376 C O O K I E S , B A R S ,
SARAH’S CHOCOLAT
SARAH’S CHOCOLATE E
PEPPERMINT STICK
PEPPERMINT STICKS S
his was the last recipe I tested
for this book, and maybe in
some way I was saving the
best for last! I met Sarah
Goodenough (isn’t that
a wonderful name?) at a
cake-decorating show in
Detroit.
A cake baker from Arlington, Texas,
she mentioned that she had been
doctoring cake mixes for some time
and told me that her signature recipe
was for a bar cookie she called Pep-
permint Sticks. I jotted down a few of
the ingredients, and then I tracked
Sarah down at home later to help me
fill in the gaps. She makes a crust
layer using a German chocolate mix,
layers on a peppermint-flavored but-
tercream, then pours over a bitter
A N D B R O W N I E S
chocolate glaze. Well, I thought these
bars were heavenly warm, but once I
chilled them and the chocolate set,
they tasted just like those
patty-shaped chocolate
peppermint candies. Wow,
do those Texans know how to
bake!
MAKES: 48 “STICKS” (2 ⁄ 4 BY 1 INCH)
1
PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES
BAKING TIME: 20 TO 23 MINUTES
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain German
chocolate cake mix
2 large eggs
1 ⁄4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons half-and-half or whole milk
4 tablespoons butter ( ⁄2 stick), 2 tablespoons
1
at room temperature
1 ⁄2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract