Peppermint Cream Squares

Next entry for the Christmas Goodie Countdown are these very tasty squares! (Original recipe called them 'bites', but I think squares is better). Easy to make and addictive right off the bat; I wanted to eat the whole plate after just one lol. 10/10 all the way. And as you can see in the video, using a 9" x 9" pan worked fine. I would still opt for 8" x 8" if you have one (I plan to obtain one quite soon!)

Link to my YouTube video of preparation: https://youtu.be/nOG5GzIMIhA

Original recipe credit: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/peppermint-cream-bites/

Recipe below contains my modifications.

Ingredients:

15 regular Oreos, crushed

3 T. salted butter, melted

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. salted butter, softened

2 T. milk

1 tsp. peppermint extract

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels (I used Ghirardelli brand)

2 tsp. butter flavored Crisco (can use regular instead)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" x 8" baking pan (or 9" x 9"; see note above) with aluminum foil and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the crushed Oreos and melted butter. Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan and press to make an even layer across the bottom.

3. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool a bit on a wire rack.

4. While it is cooling, place the powdered sugar and softened butter in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for around 1-2 minutes, until butter had combined well with the powdered sugar.

5. With the processor running, stream in the milk and peppermint extract. Continue processing for around another 1-2 minutes, until mixture is smooth and creamy (it does NOT become paste-like as the original recipe indicates).

6. Spread the peppermint mixture in an even layer over the baked crushed layer in the baking pan. Transfer to freezer for at least 45 min. (I went about an hour longer than that).

7. Place the bittersweet chocolate and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short bursts (15-30 sec, depending on your microwave) and stir after each one, until morsels have melted most of the way (once mixture is that warm, you should be able to just stir enough to make them melt rest of way). Let rest on counter for 15 min.

8. Remove pan from freezer. Spread melted chocolate atop the peppermint mixture in an even layer. Let rest for a couple of minutes, cut into squares, and enjoy!