Today I want to share with you a delicious peppermint patty recipe, they taste exactly as store-bought.
Not too long ago, I thought Peppermint Patty was only the name of Charlie Brown’s unique character. After being more in touch with the English culture I learned that the same name was used for the super-popular mint chocolate candies!
This bite-size chocolate is made of a mint-flavored sugar paste covered with dark or semisweet chocolate.
Personally, this chocolate mint combination is one of my favorites in pastry, (I love chocolate chip mint ice cream!). That’s why I decided to make these little treats, which are ideal as gifts or to keep at home when you’re craving something sweet.
The reason why I love this combo is that the freshness of the mint and the bitterness of the chocolate balances out the sweetness of the filling. And that for me, makes them addictive.
Rumor has it they taste even better when eaten straight from the freezer. Personally, I haven’t tried them frozen yet but it sounds yummy.
Even though it’s a chocolate that is mostly done for winter holidays I think they are great any time of the year!
How do we make peppermint patties?
This sweet treat has a filling very similar to fondant but in this case, we make it by adding icing sugar (powdered sugar) to condensed milk. The patties get cut and frozen before coating in chocolate and that’s practically it!
Filling:
We start by mixing condensed milk with the peppermint emulsion (I use Lorann’s Peppermint baking emulsion) and glucose only to incorporate. You can use light corn syrup instead of glucose, or just skip this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand. You can make this by using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer with the whisk attachment adding the sugar little by little until it turns into a thick paste. At this point, it’s a good idea to transfer the paste to the countertop and continue adding sugar by hand so you don’t overwork your mixer! Work it until it doesn’t stick in your hands or the counter. If necessary, you can use more icing sugar than what the recipe calls for.
The next step is to roll the filling on the countertop (you can also use a silicone mat) with a rolling pin until you reach a thickness of 5 to 8mm or ¼ inch. Always work on a clean counter, adding more icing sugar so the dough doesn’t stick. Cut the patties with a round 4cm or 1 ½ inch cookie cutter and place them on a parchment-lined tray or a silicone mat. Put them in the freezer for at least a couple of hours for them to set. Ideally, you want them frozen and firm so they’re easier to coat.
Coating:
This time I used high-quality candy melts. It’s true that candy melts are not the best for enrobing because you sacrifice the flavor and quality of real chocolate. But the whole idea here was to develop a recipe that could be easily homemade, even with the help of small children. On the other hand, if you would rather use higher quality chocolate you have to temper it before coating the patties. To cover the patties with the candy melts, heat them in a Bain Marie (water bath). For this, place the chocolate (candy melts) in a bowl bigger than the pot where you are simmering water. Keep in mind that the water must not be touching the bottom of the bowl or you risk burning it.
Allow the steam to melt the chocolate (candy melts) and just mix from time to time. You can also melt it in the microwave in 30-second intervals mixing it in-between. Once it’s fully melted let it sit so it is warm to the touch but not hot.
Lastly, take the patties out of the freezer a few at a time and dip them one by one in the chocolate. Pull them out with the help of a fork taking off the excess against the rim of the bowl. Place the patties on a parchment-lined tray until they are set and firm to touch.
If you would rather have a more polished look you can lift the patties before the chocolate sets and transfer them to a new clean parchment or a silicone mat. This will prevent the patty from setting with the excess chocolate that drips from the coating.
You can leave them as they are, or you can decorate them with chocolate drizzle to create a nicer finish. Place the remaining melted chocolate in a piping bag or paper cone and draw a line across the top of the patties.
Wrap individually in cellophane or candy wrappers to keep them fresh.
Peppermint Patties
Ingredients
- 350 g Condensed milk
- 1 tbsp Glucose 30g (optional)
- 1 tsp Peppermint emulsion
- 600 g Icing sugar plus a little to work on the table
- 400 g Semisweet candy melts
Instructions
- In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the condensed milk, glucose, and peppermint emulsion.
- Add the icing sugar little by little until a dough forms.
- Add the last portion of icing sugar by hand so that you don’t overwork the mixer: Transfer the dough to the counter and add the rest of the icing sugar, kneading it like fondant. Keep adding sugar as needed until it doesn’t stick to your hands anymore. Taste for flavor, add more mint emulsion if needed.
- Roll the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of 5 to 8 mm (¼ inch). Sprinkle some more icing to prevent it from sticking to the table.
- Cut with a 4cm (1 ½ inch) round cookie cutter. Place the patties in a tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, freeze until they are firm to the touch, approximately 4 hours. You can also leave them in the freezer overnight.
- Pull out from the freezer and coat with chocolate. For the coating melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie or in the microwave in 30-second intervals mixing each time to prevent burning.
- Wait a couple of minutes to allow the chocolate to cool down and avoid softening the patties when coating. Submerge the patties one by one with a fork in the chocolate, scrape off the excess on side of the bowl and transfer immediately to a parchment-lined tray.
- When you’re done coating all the patties use a paper cone, or piping bag to draw lines with the chocolate for garnish. Once they are set wrap them individually in cellophane or candy wrappers. Keep at room temperature.
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