# Peppermint by Jimena Ramirez – January 06, 2023 ### For the full recipe, click [here](https://www.awortheyread.com/peppermint-drink/). ## Lavender Chocolate Fudge with Dulce de Leche These silky-smooth chocolate fudge bites are spiced up with herbaceous lavender and topped with sweet and salty dulce de leche. They come together in less than one hour and with only a handful of ingredients. Be careful though, they are extremely addictive and you don’t want to end up alone in the house with these decadent bites – they are that good. ### Lavender Chocolate Fudge with Dulce de Leche: - **Prep time**: 10 minutes - **Cook time**: 45 minutes - **Serves**: 16 **Ingredients:** – 2 14-oz. cans sweetened condensed milk – 20 oz. dark chocolate, chopped – 2 tablespoons cocoa powder – 2 tablespoons lavender buds, well-rinsed – 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, divided – 1 teaspoon salt, divided **Directions:** 1. Line a 9×13-inch pan with a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. 2. Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a medium pot and place over medium heat. Tightly cover with aluminum foil and cook until the condensed milk becomes golden-brown, thick, and reduces by a third, around 40-45 minutes. Stir the condensed milk every 10 minutes while it cooks. 3. In the meantime, place the second can of sweetened condensed in another medium pot and add in the lavender buds. Place the pot over medium heat and let the condensed milk come to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let the condensed milk simmer gently for 4-5 minutes. 4. Strain the condensed milk infused with lavender and return to the pot. Add in the chocolate and stir gently just until the chocolate melts. Stir in half a tablespoon of vanilla extract and half a teaspoon of salt. 5. Pour the chocolate lavender fudge into the prepared pan and place in the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes. 6. Once the condensed milk has turned into a thick dulce de leche, remove from heat and stir in the remaining vanilla extract and salt. Set aside to cool slightly, then pour on top of the chocolate lavender fudge. 7. Return the pan to the fridge and let the fudge set for a minimum of 3-4 hours or overnight. 8. Once the chocolate lavender fudge is set, cut into bars or bite-sized cubes. Serve chilled and store leftover (if any!) fudge in the fridge. Enjoy! ## Lemon Lavender Muffins **Prep time**: 10 minutes **Cook time**: 20 minutes **Serves**: 12 **Ingredients:** – 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar – 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds, well-rinsed – 2 teaspoons lemon zest – ¾ cup butter, softened – 2 large eggs – 1 cup buttermilk – 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour – 1 teaspoon baking powder – ½ teaspoon baking soda – ¼ teaspoon salt **Lemon Glaze:** – 1 cup powdered sugar – 1 tablespoon lemon juice – 1-2 teaspoons milk of choice **Directions:** 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. 2. In a small food processor or blender, add the granulated sugar, lavender buds, and lemon zest; blend until the lavender buds are fairly broken down. 3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and lavender sugar until fluffy, around 2-3 minutes. Add in the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract; whisk to combine. 4. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter or the muffins will be tough. 5. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups – an ice-cream scoop helps for easy pouring. 6. Bake until the muffins are lightly golden-brown and spring back to the touch, around 18-22 minutes. Remove the muffins from the oven and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes. 7. In the meantime, whisk the powdered sugar with the lemon juice and slowly add 1-2 teaspoons of milk, depending on your desired consistency. 8. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and serve alongside coffee or tea. Enjoy! ## No-Knead Spinach, Mushroom, and Basil Pizza Only a few things can quite compare to the magic of homemade pizza. While the act of making your own pizza crust might seem a bit intimidating, this no-knead dough is full-proof and takes barely any effort – the dough just needs time to rise and to develop the gluten. ### No-Knead Spinach, Mushroom, and Basil Pizza: - **Prep time**: 8-12 hours - **Cook time**: 15 minutes - **Serves**: 4 **Ingredients:** – 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the dough – ¼ teaspoon dry active yeast – 1 ½ teaspoons salt – 1 ½ cups water – 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan – 4 garlic cloves, minced – 4 cups mushrooms of choice, thinly sliced – 4 cups baby spinach – 4 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated – 2 oz. parmesan cheese, freshly grated – 1 bunch fresh basil **Directions:** 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Pour over the water and using a wooden spoon, mix thoroughly. 2. Tightly wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and place a kitchen towel on top of the plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until doubled in size, at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours. 3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish with a bit of olive oil. 4. Flour your working surface and scrape out the dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts to make 4 individual pizza bases. 5. Flour your hands and gently work and stretch each pizza ball dough into a pizza base. It doesn’t have to be precise or a perfect circle – it will still taste amazing. Transfer the pizza crust onto the prepared baking sheet. 6. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil with the minced garlic and brush each pizza crust with a tablespoon of the garlic olive oil. 7. Top with mushrooms and spinach, followed by a quarter of the mozzarella. Finally, sprinkle with parmesan. 8. Transfer the pizza into the oven and bake until the crust is golden-brown on the bottom and around the edges and the cheese is all melty and gooey, around 10-15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with fresh basil leaves. Slice and enjoy!