How to make...Chocolate cheesecake.

Ingredients

• For the Crust:
• 3/4 cup crumbled vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
•  
• For the Cheesecake Filling:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled 
•  
• For the Glazes:
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 3 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Procedures

1. 1
   For the Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. In food processor, pulse wafers until they turn into fine crumbs. Add butter, sugar, and salt and pulse just to combine. Use fingertips to press 1 tablespoon cookie mixture into bottom of each cup. Bake just until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer tin to cooling rack. Decrease oven temperature to 300°F.
2. 2
   For the Cheesecake Filling: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in sour cream, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt. Decrease mixer speed to low and add chocolate. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
3. 3
   Divide batter equally among muffin cups and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. 4
   For the Glazes: Bring 1/3 cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat or in bowl in microwave. Place bittersweet chocolate and corn syrup in small bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon glaze over cupcakes, smoothing with back of spoon. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes.
5. 5
   Put a raspberry on top (if you want to), serve and then eat (because lets face it, that IS the best part!)

How to make...Ice Cream cupcakes.

Ingredients

• For the Cupcakes
• 1 box cake mix (plus any required ingredients: water, oil, eggs etc)
• 24 flat bottomed wafer cones
•  
• For the Frosting
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Food coloring (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Procedures

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare cake mix according to directions. Fill ice cream cones 2/3 full and place in baking tray.
2. 2
   Bake in 350°F oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. 3
   Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely (be sure to leave ample room between the cones so they don't get knocked over).
4. 4
   In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Divide frosting between several ramekins and add food coloring, as desired.
5. 5
   Once cupcakes have cooled completely, frost and decorate with sprinkles. Store covered up to two days.

How to make...Thin mints.

• Ingredients

  
  

  • For the cookies:

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

  • 1/3 cup milk (any kind)

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3/4 tsp peppermint extract

  • For the dark chocolate coating:

  • 10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

  
  

  

  
  

  Procedures

  1. 1
     In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
  2. 2
     In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look slightly curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
  3. 3
     Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours (I did mine overnight), until dough is very firm.
  4. 4
     Preheat oven to 375°F.
  5. 5
     For the most authentic texture, slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick (they will not be as crisp if they are thicker, but they're still delicious) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you don't have to leave too much space around each one.
  6. 6
     Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
  7. 7
     Prepare the coating. While the original recipe suggested preparing it in the microwave, I did mine on the stovetop by combining the chocolate on butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until the mixture was melty and fully combined. The texture will be thicker than a chocolate syrup, but not so thick that cookies can't easily be dipped and removed. You can put the chocolate mixture back on heat as needed to keep the coating smooth and easy to dip your cookies into.
  8. 8
     Note: Per the recipe I adapted, this can also be done in the microwave: in a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45 to 60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (Note: Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.)
  9. 9
     Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.