Tuesday 25 January 2011

Tuesday Treats: Peppermint Crisps

Hello, hello :)

Morning! And welcome to the second installment of my Christmas hamper recipe posts. Whilst I made these Peppermint Crisps for the festive season, they can be made at any time and would be perfect with coffee for a dinner party!

Peppermint Crisps


Recipe

Borrowed from The Galley Gourmet :)
Their recipe says it will make 24 1 1/2 inch round crisps
To avoid wastage, I cut mine into triangles. It made loads!!

Ingredients


1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract, divided
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
4 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I used dessicated as I couldn't get the former)

This is an American recipe, hence the cups - you could either go with it or do as I did which was go with the 1 cup being equal to 100g which I found with the help of Google. It worked anyway!


Method



1) Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.

2) Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.  Over medium heat dissolve the sugar.  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook without stirring until the mixture turns a light caramel color, about 7-9 minutes.  Halfway through wipe the sides of the pan down with a damp pastry brush to remove and crystallization.  Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of the peppermint extract.  Swirl the pan to distribute the extract.

3) Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and set aside for 15 minutes or until completely hardened and cooled.  Break the hardened peppermint sugar into shards and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse to break up the large pieces, then process until it resembles fine sand.

4) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5) Place the chocolates in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Remove from the microwave and stir.  If not melted, return to the microwave and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  Stir and repeat if necessary until the chocolate is completely melted.  Once melted, stir in the coconut, remaining peppermint extract and the processed peppermint sugar.  Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.  Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into a 10x8-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick.  Holding the parchment to the baking sheet, gently rap the baking sheet on the counter to even the surface.  Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate, about 1 hour.  

6) Remove from the refrigerator and let rest for 5 minutes.  Gently transfer the parchment to a cutting surface. Using a 1 1/2-inch circle cutter, cut out as many rounds as you can.  Reserve the scraps for nibbling or fold into your favorite ice cream.  Store in an airtight container in a cool location or in the refrigerator for a cool peppermint taste.  Enjoy!   


Simples! These were uber yummy! I'll definitely be making them again. Does anyone know where shredded unsweetened coconut can be found? I checked all of the local supermarkets but to no avail!

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5 comments:

  1. These look lovely! And so easy to make too.
    Maybe try Holland and Barrett for Julian Graves for the shredded coconut, pretty sure they'd sell it. x

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  2. Wow, sounds so easy! Might try it with orange extract instead :)

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  3. Ohh, this is perfect, I'm going to a dinner party thingy next week so shall take these!

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  4. Lily - Thanks :) It really is pretty easy! Oo thanks I shall do! xxx

    Lily - Yeah it is :) Oo go for it! Let me know how you get on xxx

    Laura - Oo fabby! Let me know how they go down :) xxx

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  5. Thank you so much for this!!
    The discontinuing of Cadburys Mint Crisp was a devastating loss in my life, but now I know how to make my own :)

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