Chocolate Layered Mint Bars
If you like peppermint patties, you will love this recipe. These are some of my favorite layered mint bars!

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These taste wonderful! I got this recipe from  a coworker from my graduate school days. She always made these whenever we had a social gathering. For a bridal shower gift, I received a recipe book from my coworkers with this recipe in it.

Ingredients:

1 12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. white chocolate
1/2 to 1 T. oil-based peppermint extract (to taste)
Few drops green or red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

In a heavy saucepan or a double boiler, melt the chips with 1 cup sweetened condensed milk. Stir in vanilla. Spread half of the mixture in a wax-paper or foil-lined 8-inch square pan. Chill 10 minutes or until firm. Hold remaining mixture at room temperature. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler with 1/3 cup remaining sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the peppermint and food coloring. Spread this on the chilled chocolate layer. Chill for 10 minutes or until firm. Then spread remaining chocolate mixture on mint layer. Chill 2 hours. Turn onto cutting board; peel off paper or foil and cut into 64 one-inch squares.

Peppermint Bars
Crust
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk
11/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Frosting
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
3 or 4 tablespoons milk
Crushed peppermint candy, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, combine sugar, butter and milk in a medium bowl and beat
until creamy and well
combined. Stir in flour, pecans and baking powder until well-combined.
Press
into the bottom of a 13 x
9-inch baking pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown.
Sprinkle with chips and let stand 2 minutes. Spread melted chocolate over
crust and set aside to cool
completely.
To make frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar, butter, cream cheese,
salt
and peppermint flavoring
in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until
partly
blended. Add a tablespoon
of milk and beat longer. Beat in enough remaining milk to reach desired
spreading consistency. Spread
on top of cooled chocolate and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy, if
desired.
Chill 1 hour or set aside several hours for frosting to set up before
cutting into desired shapes.
Makes about 4 dozen.