These Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties are stuffed with a refreshingly cool blend of fresh mint leaves and fondant dipped in silky, dark chocolate.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I normally steer clear of anything that has peppermint in its name. The taste is almost always too medicinal for my palate. That I am sharing these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties will come as a surprise, no.... utter shock, to those very folks.
The thing is, I don't like not liking things. My problem has always been my need to experience everything...well, most things at least once. OK, maybe not most, but a lot. Let's just say I was labelled a closet hedonist by a couple of my closest friends - a label I pretend to dislike, but secretly relish. But, I digress...
Fondant on its own can be pretty disgusting, so I try to use a quality brand, or better yet, whip up your very own batch of Marshmallow Fondant. Together with fresh mint leaves, a touch of natural peppermint mint flavour, invertase, dark, silky, bittersweet chocolate and crystallized mint leaves for additional texture, these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties have converted me. I also have a ganache version that is, in the words of the nineties, bomb-diggity!
Invertase? It's an enzyme that converts sucrose to glucose through the process of hydrolysis and is used widely in candy-making. The addition of invertase to these patties helped to liquefy the fondant over time, so that you get that gooey, caramel consistency when you bite into the patties. I should have waited a couple more days for a better result, but these were disappearing fast and I wanted to get some photos before they disappeared.
To finish them off, I added a leaf pattern to half the batch using transfer sheets, which are plastic sheets printed with coloured cocoa butter. They work best when your chocolate is properly tempered. The other half were topped with gold painted lines and pieces of homemade crystallized mint leaves. I used very few of those in the photos, as I wasn't too pleased with my painting.
From someone who was never been much of a peppermint patty fan, I really enjoyed these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties and think you will to. They come together easily and with a little cocoa butter magic, look pretty impressive. Don't you think? Make a few extras and gift them to your patty-loving friends for St. Patrick's Day.
Recommended:
Ingredients
- 200 grams rolled fondant just under 1 cup
- 4 grams mint leaves 2 ½ tablespoons, finely chopped
- a couple drops peppermint extract
- 1-2 drops invertase
- 300 grams dark chocolate about 1 ¼ cups
- transfer paper and crystallized mint leaves to decorate
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Cut 1.5 by 1.5 squares of transfer sheet and set aside for decorating.
- Coarsely chop crystallized mint leaves and set aside.
- Chop the mint leaves very finely. I like using multi-blade scissors to speed things up.
- On a clean surface, or in a bowl, knead the chopped mint, peppermint extract and invertase into the fondant until distributed and well blended. If you find the mixture too thick, you may thin it with a little water.
- Roll fondant mixture into even-sized balls and shape into discs wth your fingers, or roll the fondant out flat and use a small round pastry to cut discs.
- Temper chocolate and dip discs to coat. Tap off excess and move to a parchment lined baking sheet to set.
- If decorating with transfer sheets, place a square, printed side down, onto each patty while chocolate is still wet. Or, sprinkle with crystallized mint.
Notes
Ali @ Home & Plate says
Your peppermint patties are so pretty. Better than anything store bought. I imagine they taste absolutely delicious.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you, Ali!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
These are stunning! I would love to have a handful, though I would have to eat just a small bite at a time to savor the flavor! YUM!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Cindy!
Shreyashi says
Your pictures look divine. The blog makeover has definitely worked wonders. I love a good peppermint patty. I can almost taste the creamy cool peppermint filling enveloped by the bitter chocolate. Loving the idea of it. I will definitely make them but I know that mine wouldn't look even half as good as yours. Ah, well, only taste matters right? 😛
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Shreyashi! Would love to hear your thoughts if/when you do make them. I haven't made my blog over recently, but glad you like! 🙂
Shreyashi says
It is not now. But I distinctly remember in my early days of Blogger activity, that I come to your site and seen a green ruffled cake. Must have been about 3-4 years back 🙂
Shreyashi says
Yes, it is not now. But I distinctly remember in my early days of Blogger activity, that I had come to your site and seen a green ruffled cake. Must have been about 3-4 years back 🙂 That time I had a horrible "my everyday thoughts bucket" kind of blog. 😛
I Sugar Coat It! says
Oh my goodness - I remember!!! That feels like a lifetime ago. So good to see you are still blogging.
Shreyashi says
It's great to see, we both are 🙂
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
They look delicious and I really like the accent of the mint.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Peter! Yes, the mint was just as enjoyable on their own!
Tamara says
I love peppermint patties - even store-bought ones - so these are so appealing! Your photos are so beautiful, it'd be hard to pick one up and bite into it... Lovely!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Tamara!
Paula says
I'm a fan of peppermint and chocolate but usually on eat peppermint patties at Christmas. These homemade ones of yours look wonderful. A lot of effort went into making them so beautiful and I have no doubt that they tasted delicious!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Paula! Not a great deal of effort at all - they came together rather quickly. Although drying the mint leaves took a few hours.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
OMG this is amazing!! I have never thought to make my own peppermint patties!! Thanks for the recipe!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Sam!
Elizabeth says
These are beautiful little works of art! Loving the transfer sheet decoration too. Yum!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Amazing how a little coloured cocoa butter can turn a plain looking piece of chocolate into something pretty! So fun!
Sylvie says
So pretty, love the leaf design on top!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake says
I love peppermint with chocolate, so if you loved these and dislike peppermint I know I am going to LOOOOOOVE these. Love that leaf pattern too, really makes them special
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks! It's a really good balance of peppermint to chocolate and you can adjust to your liking.
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
These look amazing --- the actual peppermint patties are too strong for me, but I would love these 🙂
I Sugar Coat It! says
That is what I like about making these, you can tailor the strength to your liking! Thanks!
Olivia @ livforcake says
These are gorgeous!! I am a huge chocolate and peppermint fan, so these are right up my alley. Delish.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Olivia! xx
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
What I would not give to have a couple of these along with my cuppa right now.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Bintu!
Dana says
These are gorgeous! I'm not much of a baker myself, but a girlfriend of mine is and she would love this! Totally sharing this with her.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Dana. These little treats are no-bake!
Tania @ COOKTORIA says
I love the combination of peppermint and chocolate! I am saving this recipe for later!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Would love to hear if you give it a try!
Peter @ Feed Your Soul Too says
These look so great and it is fun to make candy bars homemade.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Always so much better!
Diana L says
I know a lot of people who would love these - big fans of chocolate and peppermint. Making it with dark chocolate and with mint herb would be even more appealing to them. Fantastic idea!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Diana! Packaged, they make wonderful little gifts!
Kate @ VeggieDesserts says
You've made them look so pretty! I'd love to try them. Yum!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Kate! Hope you do!!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
So sorry, Lisa - a whole bunch of comments went to spam. They should be okay for a few weeks. I haven't kept them for longer than two weeks. As I make them very close to when I plan to give them as gifts. Ensure the leaves have no moisture - so pat dry very well after washing and allow to air dry before using.