RECIPE: Inside-Out Homemade Peppermint Patties
 [1] Hannah Kaminsky’s Inside-Out Peppermint Patties (photo © Bittersweet Blog).
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It’s National Chocolate Mint Day. You can make a cool chocolate peppermint pie, warm chocolate mint lava cakes, have some mint chocolate ice cream or chocolate peppermint patties. How about your own, homemade peppermint patties—with a reverse approach: creamy chocolate on the inside, white mint coating on the outside? Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog who created this recipe, gives us the reason: “The only thing that could be improved [in a peppermint patty] is the ratio of chocolate to peppermint, which is why I decided to flip the classic patty inside-out.” Ingredients For 30-34 Patties *As always, the better the chocolate, the better the result. Look for two quality 3.5-ounce chocolate bars (Green & Blacks, Lindt, etc.) or consider buying a pound of the chocolate disks (wafers) that confectioners use. 1. FORM the centers: Place the chopped chocolate and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 60 seconds. Stir vigorously; continue to heat at intervals of 30 seconds, stirring well each time, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper, and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. 2. ROLL out the chilled chocolate mixture to about 1/4-inch thick and use 1-inch round cookie cutters to punch out the candy pieces. Should the chocolate become too soft or difficult to work with, just toss it back in the fridge for another 15-30 minutes. Once all of the centers are cut, place them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before getting making the coating. 3. PREPARE the coating: Place the cocoa butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-3 minutes until it completely liquefies. Whisk in the sugar and peppermint oil, stirring vigorously to completely dissolve. 4. REMOVE the semi-frozen patties from the freezer and dip each into the mint coating, one at a time. Place them back on the Silpat, allowing the coating to set. This top coat is thinner than the standard pure chocolate shell, so you may wish to double-dip once the first layer has solidified. |
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5. SHARE the result with loved ones and raise a cup of tea (or whatever goes with peppermint patties) to National Chocolate Mint Day. FREEZE THE PATTIES IN SUMMER February 11th is National Peppermint Patty Day, February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day. How can you celebrate in the summer? “Especially in the heat of summer,” says Hannah Kaminsky, “peppermint patties are one of my favorite treats. Best stashed in the freezer for full cooling effect, I love the way the chocolate shell shatters upon impact, releasing its soft, creamy center with minty-fresh flavor. Whether it’s candy, meat, or veggies, to be perfectly correct, the spelling is patty. Patties is the plural form, so many folks assumed the singular to be pattie. The word first appeared in English around 1700-1710, derived from the French pâté (paste in English), a mix of finely-ground ingredients. Pasta is the Italian word for paste; and in modern French cuisine, pâté refers to a meatloaf as well as the more finely ground goose or duck liver pâté. Perhaps America’s most famous patty is the [incorrectly spelled] York Peppermint Pattie. According to a company history in Wikipedia, the York Peppermint Pattie was first produced by Henry C. Kessler, owner of the York Cone Company, in 1940. The company was named for its location: York, Pennsylvania. Today the company is owned by Hershey and the production is in Monterrey, Mexico. |
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