Serves: 30
Total Calories: 112

CAKE
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
FROSTING
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
TOPPING
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. To help remove the cookies, line the pan, lengthwise and widthwise, with two 8-inch-wide sheets of parchment paper or foil, shiny side up, leaving a few inches of the paper hanging over the edges. Lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. To make the cake: In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter and set aside to cool slightly. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until blended.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well blended. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and the peppermint extract. Stir in the flour mixture until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the center of the oven until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out just clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
4. To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, cream, and peppermint extract until it reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over the top of the cooled cake. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. To make the topping: In the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring to combine. Drizzle the mixture over the frosting, then tilt the pan so the topping covers the frosting. Chill until the chocolate is firm, then cut into small squares.

Variation
For Triple-Treat Almond Bars, follow the main recipe, substituting 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for the 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract in the cake. In the frosting, substitute almond extract for the peppermint, and sprinkle the topping with toasted sliced almonds.


From Holiday Baking. Text copyright © 2005 by Sara Perry. Photographs copyright © 2005 by Leigh Beisch. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 30
Total Calories: 112
Calories from Fat: 56

More Recipes from the Holiday Baking Cookbook:
Bloody Mary and Baked Mushroom Omelet
Dutch Baby Pancake
Gelato Affogato
Midnight Cowboy Chocolate Chip Cookies
New Year's Eve Meringue Roulade
Next Year's Fortune Cookies
Petite French Almond Cakes
Slivered Biscotti
Spiced Blueberry Sauce
Start-the-New-Year-with-Chocolate Brownie Terrine
Strawberry Orange Morning Relish
Triple-Treat Touchdown Bars
Walnut Walkaways