St. Sam's and St. Bede's Recipe Pages
                Bon Appetit!
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Martha Stewart's Chocolate-Mint Wafer
Makes about 3 dozen
(with apologies to non-USA sibs for the measurements)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Confectioner's sugar for rolling
1/4 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 to 3 drops peppermint oil 
	(or, instead, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream
the butter and sugar until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.  Add the
egg, and continue mixing until well combined.  Whisk together the cocoa
powder and the flour.  Add the dry ingredients, and scraping the sides of
the bowl down, continue mixing until just combined.  Divide the dough in
half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Shape into a small disc, and
refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm.  (The dough can be made a day
ahead and refrigerated overnight.)

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with Silpat
nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.  Lightly sprinkle a clean work
surface with confectioners sugar.  Place the chilled dough on the work
surface.  Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.  (Save the scraps to
refrigerate and roll out again.)  Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out
the cookies and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2 inch
apart.  You should be able to fit about 35 cookies on a baking sheet. 
Bake until you can smell the chocolate, about 12 minutes.  Remove to a
rack to cool.

3. Meanwhile, bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high
heat.  Very finely chop 6 ounces of chocolate, and add to hot cream. 
Stir with a spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Add the
peppermint oil.  Let cool slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a #11 tip.  Pipe out
quarter-size amounts of chocolate, about 1 teaspoon each, onto the center
of half the wafers.  Top with the remaining wafers.  Chill in the
refrigerator until firm, about 10 minutes.

5.  Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. 
Let cool slightly.  Dip one side of the cookie sandwich to coat.  Remove
the excess chocolate by scraping the cookie against the side of the bowl.
 Return to the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.

(Personally, it seems to me that the desired G.S. result can be obtained
by omitting step 3 completely, and adding the peppermint to either the
dough or the coating.) 

From: Georgianna Henry
Date: Sat, 27 May 2000 
Subject: Re: BLATT to Tony+