Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Cooking-Peppermint Patties 12 Days to Christmas




http://cdn-s3-0.wanelo.com/product/image/2018903/original.jpg
Image from All You Need Is Pug on Etsy

When I was a dog deprived kid I used to imagine my fantasy dog, a sweet little girl pug Peppermint Puggy, named after my favorite candy, the Peppermint Patty.   Years passed and I acquired a family of wonderful pugs (and non pugs) none of whom I named Peppermint.  I still love the candy though, even though I don't like most grocery store candies.   Then a few years ago I discovered a recipe for home made peppermint patties and they are so much better then the store bough version, plus they are easy, keep forever and make a perfect Holiday gift.  

You do need one specialty ingredient to make them: food grade peppermint oil, 
which you can buy on Amazon.  You need peppermint oil, not extract, in order to give the patties that cool, zingy flavor that they were talking about in those old commercials.

 Peppermint Patties from the Joy of Baking

  • 4 cups confectioners sugar (plus extra for rolling)
  • 3 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp food grate peppermint oil, do not use peppermint extract
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp evaporated milk
  • 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp shortening
In an electric mixer beat the sugar and butter, extracts, and evaporated milk until creamy and well combined.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 1 hour.  

Remove the batter from the fridge and line a baking sheet with foil and sprinkle it  with confectioners sugar.  Scoop the dough out by spoon fulls and roll into a ball and then flatten into patty shape.  Place on the sugar lined pan.   Refrigerate the patties for at least one hour.

Once the patties are firm melt the chocolate and shortening in a sauce pan over very low heat and whisk until smooth (be careful not to burn it). Dip the patties in the melted chocolate using two forks.   Place them on a second foiled lined baking sheet (minus the confectioners sugar).  Refrigerate until the chocolate is hard, about one hour.   Store in the fridge for up to a month.

18 comments:

  1. That is so cool that you make your own peppermint patties! My mom loves those!
    Stewey

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  2. Oh I love peppermint patties and have always wanted to make my own. This sounds like a pretty easy recipe. thanks for posting!

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  3. Yum!! I always knew I wanted a dog, but never had a breed in mind until we moved here and fell in love with a neighbor's Sheltie. Then one of my students gave a presentation to my husband on why Shelties would be the perfect dog for him. Now we have two and I really can't imagine life without them.

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  4. Peppermint Puggy is very cute and sweet name!

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  6. These sound great! I think I will give these a try. Thank you for pointing out the difference between peppermint oil and peppermint extract.

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  7. Aww, you definitely look like a peppermint stick.
    Dip Bridge and Elliot x

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  8. Oh. My. Gawd! That is the most adorable thing. I have to get hats like that for my pugs. That is just stellar. Gawd, I love those ears. And I love peppermint patties.
    They make me feel like I'm in the middle of a cool forest. And the only thing I hear, the only thing I hear HO-NEY! is the DEW dropping off the cool gah-reen leaves! HA HA!

    Remember that commercial?? Blast from the past! ;)

    I'll say it again - your pug pics are a daily smile inducer when they pop up in my inbox!

    Merry Pugmas!

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    1. Its not actually one of our pugs in the pic, its a pug from All You Need is Pug the store website, I believe the pug in the picture is James Dean the pug who belongs to the store owner

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  9. My Mommy use to love peppermint so I'mz gonna make her some for Chriztmaz..Fank youz xx0xx

    Mollie and Alfie

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  10. yum! i love peppermint patties too!
    when i was a kid i really wanted two bull terriers, and I was going to name them hawkeye and BJ. I was OBSESSED with M*A*S*H when i was in middle schoool, haha!

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  11. Oh yum! I bet they were so delicious.

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