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sunnrae_gw

Chocolate Mint

sunnrae
18 years ago

I have a LOT of chocolate mint growing in my flowerbed and am trying to find ways to use it. How does one go about making mint oil? Is that possible at home?

Thanks,

Sunnrae

Comments (5)

  • Daisyduckworth
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Check out the link below:

    Here is a link that might be useful: chocolate mint etc

  • wackywherehouse
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CHOCOLATE MINT TRUFFLE TORTE

    Makes 1 cake, 12 servings.

    This torte uses yet one more technique for infusing fresh herbs. This time you steep mint leaves in warm butter, strain them out, and use the scented butter in the cake. Flourless chocolate cakes are familiar to most serious chocolate lovers because they are the most intensely chocolate cakes imaginable. They are, in fact, cooled dense chocolate souffl and very simple to make. The fresh peppermint flavor in this version gives it a refreshing taste.

    About 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened, for the pan
    1 tbsp. all-purpose flour, for the pan
    6 ounces (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter
    1/2 cup (gently packed) fresh chocolate mint or peppermint leaves
    12 ounces premium bittersweet chocolate chopped
    6 large eggs, at room temperature
    6 tbsp. granulated sugar
    Garnish with powdered sugar

    Preparing the pan: Generously butter a 9 inch springform pan and lightly dust the interior with the flour. Turn the pan upside down and bang out the excess flour. Wrap a large square of heavy-duty aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan and partially up the sides. Turn the pan right side up and set it in a shallow baking pan or on a half-sheet pan.

    Infusing the butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the mint leaves and let the butter sit in a warm place for about 30 minutes to absorb the flavor of the leaves.

    Butter and chocolate mixture: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Create a double boiler by selecting a medium (10-12") stainless-steel mixing bowl that will rest on top of large (6-quart) pot. The top of the bowl can extend beyond the rim of the pot, but the bottom of the bowl must not touch the water. Put about 2" water in the pot and bring it to a simmer. If the butter has cooled, heat it again to thin it. Pour the butter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl and press the leaves with the back of a spoon to extract all the butter. Add the chocolate to the bowl and place it over the simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, then remove the bowl from the water.

    Eggs: Beat the eggs and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for a full 10 minutes. They should quadruple in volume and become light colored, very thick and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then very gently fold in the remaining egg mixture until completely incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Baking: Put the baking pan with the cake on the center oven rack and pour in enough water to come about 1/2" up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until an instant-thermometer inserted in the center of the cake register 155 to 160 F, 25 to 30 minutes. The top of the cake will lose its glossiness and be slightly mounded, but it should not bake so long that it rises and cracks. If you insert a skewer into the center, it should come out gooey. Let the cake cool completely in its pan on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and remove the outer ring. The cake will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, ice cream or custard sauce.

    Recipe from: "The Herbfarm Cookbook" by Jerry Traunfeld.

  • wackywherehouse
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There are supposed to be some very delectable and sophisticated recipes that demand the chocolate variety of mint. I am still searching for them. :)

    This is from website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A505513

    There's a herb called chocolate mint that actually tastes a bit like mint chocolate. If it's dried, the chocolate mint aroma is especially strong. It can be chopped up fresh and sprinkled over ice cream, cake or anything that could use a mint chocolate flavour.

    It might sound a bit strange, but mint is good in drinks in the summer. When you make your ice cubes, just put a leaf or two of mint in the water before you freeze it.

    If you wait until the mint leaves dry out (or dry them in a food dryer), you can make tea from them:

    Ingredients

    1 or 2 tablespoons dried chocolate mint leaves (these should be slightly crumbled but not powdered)
    A packet of hot chocolate mix or some instant coffee mix (optional but recommended)
    Method

    Bring the water to the boil.

    Put the leaves in a tea strainer and hang the strainer over a cup.

    Pour the boiling water into the cup.

    Leave for about 15 minutes then stir hot chocolate or instant coffee mix into tea

  • jules7ky
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about mint syrup? I usually make it with Kentucky Colonel spearmint for mint juleps or iced tea, but I bet chocolate mint syrup would be great in coffee or homemade hot chocolate!

    1 cup cold water
    2 cups sugar
    6 mint springs (I use a LOT more to make it really minty)
    Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over high heat for 5 minutes (it's usually just coming to a boil at that point, but it can vary). Let syrup cool, then add the mint. Cover and steep for 12 hours, then stir a couple of times. Strain through cheesecloth to remove mint, bottle the syrup & keep in the refrigerator. I've kept it as long as a year this way (forgot it was in the back of the fridge) and it was still good!

    Or hey, what about a Chocolate Mint Julep? I've never tried it, but it could be interesting :) - Combine 1 pint bourbon and ½ pint of your Chocolate Mint syrup; chill in the refrigerator at least overnight. Fill julep cups or short cocktail glasses with crushed ice, pour in the bourbon-mint syrup stuff. Add a mint sprig for a garnish and a short straw (so your nose is in the mint as you sip!) and serve immediately. Hm! I might have to start growing chocolate mint, too.......

  • tara715
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chocolate Mint essential oil
    3 tablespoons chocolate mint leaves
    1 pint warm vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon white vinegar
    Crush the veins of the leaves with a mortar and pestle. Add to the oil and vinegar in a jar. Cover and place in a warm sunny window for one week. Strain the leaves. If the scent is to your liking, that's it. If you want it stronger, repeat the process with new leaves in the same liquid.