We put up our Christmas tree last Sunday, which has been a joy to look at every day. Although as I get older I’m afraid the Christmas spirit has become more elusive. Time is going by too fast. I decided to make something super festive and packed with chocolate this week, and nothing says Christmas like peppermint! So, inspired by my mom’s beloved chocolate torte from a bakery that closed years ago, I decided to make a dark chocolate and peppermint version. 

Chocolate Torte with Peppermint

It’s been bone-chillingly cold in Maine. I thought I’d be more used to it this year without a trip to a different climate. The past two years I came home in the middle of November to a double digit degree drop, which was startling and difficult. We haven’t been walking outside, which says a lot, because my mom and I have walked in full on rain and pitch black. Instead, I’ve been snuggled up to my computer, working on projects and organizing things before 2026. I’ve also made plenty of time to play. To bake, play pool, watch TV, and have some adventures. 

On Tuesday I woke up in an especially good mood. One of those days where you just feel like the world is working out for you. Nothing has changed but suddenly your situation feels hopeful rather than uncertain. I watched some really great TV and made a delicious sourdough grilled cheese and spent most of the day relaxing. Then, I managed to get myself to work out, which reinvigorated me. I pushed myself and felt a rush of adrenaline after. All the good dopamine and serotonin feelings. And my dad and I decided to play pool.

A Cold Week in Maine

We exchanged our brotherly teasing and shots on colorful clinking billiards balls and we tied after several rounds. The basement was probably 10 degrees cooler, so we decided to escape and sit in the living room after. I made some orange-scented tea and dipped chocolate cookies in it. It was heavenly. My dad mentioned how much he wanted hot chocolate. And I had flashbacks of Christmas movies and homemade hot drinks from years past. I sipped on my tea and felt warm from the inside. Literally and figuratively. 

I spent Wednesday working and watching Survivor. Then I stayed up until 2 with customer support, trying to fix small issues on my website. Entrepreneurship never ends and you never really have dedicated time away. But it’s so worth it. I still went to bed smiling, and exhausted. Which meant I woke up like a zombie the next day. I planned to make a rich chocolate torte, partially for my mom. We bought some peppermint candy pieces a few weeks ago to bake something with, and I knew they would be amazing on top. 

Chopping Chocolate + Recipe Testing


Still, it took a lot of effort just to get out of bed. My body felt weak and I yearned for a nap, but after fixing myself a late breakfast I got to work. Every time this happens I disappear into the joy of baking and my impatience melts away. Nothing makes me more relaxed than measuring sugar, chopping chocolate, and melting things in a pot. Diligently lining baking pans and whisking eggs. So, I spent the afternoon making a decadent chocolate torte with peppermint. Funnily enough, I’ve made plenty of brownies, tarts, and chocolate cakes, but never a torte. 

Chocolate torte is characterized usually but not having any flour. My mom’s beloved torte from a small bakery in the town over from ours was like pure fudge. Ripe with silky eggs, sugar, chocolate, and butter. It almost tastes like a set ganache, or a really rich brownie without gluten. So I had little doubt that this would turn out great. Even if it all collapsed and fell apart, which it kind of did after I tried to cut it too early, it would be delicious. As I perused online for recipe inspiration, I realized I couldn’t find a chocolate peppermint version. 

Chocolate + Mint

One of my very favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and mint. My mom loves it too. She always ate mint chocolate chip ice cream when I grew up. I was a coffee kid. My dad is a simple man and loves vanilla. Strawberry. Caramel. But I was raised with that bright green creme anglaise, freckled with hard chocolate chunks. I never ordered it but I always snuck bites and dreamed of chocolate and mint desserts. When I became obsessed with food shows, I watched Top Chef, and I remember a silky rectangle of mint chocolate cake with a dark, glossy glaze. 

It informed a lot of my inspiration for dessert-making for a long time. When I first got really into baking I would try to temper chocolate by melting chips in the microwave and spreading “swooshes” on parchment paper. I would freeze them when they weren’t set and use them to garnish cupcakes. The first time I actually tried to make a chocolate and mint dessert, I spent hours infusing mint leaves into cream and ended up throwing the concoction away. I hate infusing herbs in cream – it never works as well as blending the herbs into the sugar.

Brown Butter Batter

Luckily I had peppermint pieces to use this time. Like last year when I made my chocolate Swiss roll with peppermint buttercream. It was one of my very favorite recipes from my first year in blogging. I loved photographing the striking dark brown of the chocolate and the bright white and pink candy cane pieces. So I knew this chocolate torte would turn out just as beautiful. I started by chopping the last 3 chocolate bars my grandmother gifted me months ago. She, the chocolate champion of our family, accidentally ordered 10 bars of too-dark chocolate and couldn’t return them. So I’ve been utilizing them in all my chocolate recipes. 

I was sad to see the last of them go, but I couldn’t think of a better use for them than this. I knew the super dark chocolate would pair so well with sugar and peppermint and create a rich, fudgy texture. When my chocolate was chopped, I melted butter in a sauté pan until it browned. Because I seem to feel compelled to make brown butter every time I use butter in a recipe. Just to make it as elevated and flavorful as possible. When it finished browning I added heavy cream to add moisture back into the butter. I used the warmth to melt my chocolate. 

Peppermint Candy on Top

Next I added two splashes of peppermint extract. The last of the bottle. Along with some vanilla and salt for more flavor. It all came together into a luscious, pourable pool. I set it aside as I moved on to my eggs. Hypnotically cracking egg after egg into my stand mixer bowl. Cradling two egg yolks in my fingers to separate the whites. I washed my hands off, poured in the sugar, and whipped it up on high speed as I prepped my baking pan. The oven dinged when it was preheated. And I couldn’t wait to crack open my bag of peppermint candy. 

I checked the egg mixture after about 5 minutes and marveled at how thick and fluffy it was. Perfect for a sponge cake. But in this case, I knew my chocolate torte would be nice and airy. Silky. All that was left to do was mix the chocolate into the cloud of eggs, and I folded it carefully with a rubber spatula. Watching as the dark brown swirled satisfyingly into the pale yellow. Finally, after a few minutes, I scraped the last of the bowl and finished mixing. I had a beautiful, aerated chocolate batter. Free of flour, so a bit lighter than brownies. 

Slicing Silky Chocolate Torte

I poured my batter into the greased pan and set a timer. I cleaned, as I always do, and had a snack. Caught up on tasks. And wrapped some Christmas gifts. I’m determined to be early with my wrapping this year to make Christmas Eve a breeze. There have been so many times that I’ve frantically wrapped awkward heavy shapes at the eleventh hour. But after cleaning our basement, I prepared a beautiful kitchen table from my old apartment to use as a wrapping station. Replete with tape, labels, ribbon, and paper. I’m like an elf every day, chipping away at my wrapping like a pro. 

I could tell when my chocolate torte was done because the house filled with the tantalizing scent of peppermint and dark chocolate. It would be an amazing candle. I slid the torte out carefully and it jiggled slightly in the center. So I transferred it to the butcher block and let it cool for a while. And after about 10 minutes I impatiently started fiddling with it like a cat. Poking and prodding it to see if it was ready. I took the pan edge off first, which stuck slightly. And I snacked on the scraps. I sliced a triangle, far too soon, and watched the center start to collapse slightly like a lava cake. All the alarm bells sounded. 

A Perfect Dessert

But I kept going. Normally this is my worst nightmare. Messing up my beautiful photos and perfectly-styled desserts. For some reason I was in a great mood and I couldn’t care less. I knew I’d still have plenty of options for a great slice. And I think I sabotaged it subconsciously to get closer to eating it. I kept going, still, as it began to crumble around the edges. I used a large spatula to try and scrape it off the metal base, but it made it worse. Suddenly I was a fourth grader again, doing everything wrong, too impatient to wait. 

Luckily it still tasted incredible. And I got a great piece to photograph. My family wouldn’t mind some odd, eccentric shapes to eat, and all my anxiety melted away when I tried it. Picture the most silky, rich, and deep brownies you’ve ever tried. It almost feels insulting to compare this to brownies, because it’s so luxurious, but it really reminds me of a batch without flour. A bit custardy and dense in a great way. When it’s warm it melts on your tongue like a giant slice of lava cake. Somewhere in between melting and firm. A perfect dessert. 

When Brownies Meet Fudge

The peppermint came through, too, which pushed this over the edge into incredible territory. Not to toot my own horn, but I devoured my slice. I had no choice – I was full from lunch and cautious about eating too much sugar but I couldn’t stop. The dollop of whipped cream on top added a heavenly cloud-like crown, too. The peppermint pieces provide a slight crunch, which pairs perfectly with the smooth base. And the chocolate! Oh my lord, if you love dark chocolate you will love this. Chocolate torte is my new favorite thing. 

I can’t wait to see how my mom likes it Sunday. My dad just had a piece for dessert and even he said how good it was. For context, he couldn’t care less about chocolate most days. He has never expressed interest in mint, as far as I can remember. But his eyes widened in pure delight. The possibilities for this recipe are endless! You could try a version with orange zest instead of peppermint. Or espresso for a mocha flavor. I want to put raspberries on top, or a scoop of strawberry ice cream. Anyway – this is one of my new favorite things. And I will have no choice but to eat another slice or two in the coming few days. Make it at your own risk!

Thank you for reading, as always! Be sure to check out my Etsy for 100’s of recipe cards and art prints. Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. And check out my new recipe cards by mail subscription! I hope you’re having a great holiday season.