Peppermint Patties

I LOVE mint and chocolate together, it is one of the tastiest combinations in my opinion.

I love a good york peppermint patty after a meal, so minty & delicious. I decided to try and create my own, they were a lot of work, but so tasty that I think they were worth it. YUM. 

(I found this recipe on joyofbaking)

Peppermint Patties:

2 cups (240 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon peppermint extract (add more if you want a stronger flavour)

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (30 ml) evaporated milk

Chocolate Coating:

8 ounces (240 grams) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon (12 grams) shortening

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, smoothing out any wrinkles. Lightly dust the foil with icing sugar.

With an electric mixer beat (on low speed) the sugar, butter, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and evaporated milk until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until very creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Transfer the batter to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill until firm enough to roll into balls (about an hour).

Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place on the prepared pan. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until the patties are about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter and 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick. Cover and place in the refrigerator until the patties are firm (at least one hour, or even overnight).

Chocolate Coating: 

* This is where I ran into it being "more work than it's worth?". I didn't let the peppermint filling cool off long enough, so when I went to dip it in the chocolate it just became goo. I ended up coating the bottoms of the patties first and placing them on the pan, and then I dropped a dollop of chocolate on the top of each one and spread it around to cover the whole thing. 

Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove the patties from the refrigerator and dip, one patty at a time, into the melted chocolate, making sure both sides of each patty are completely coated with chocolate. (You can use 2 forks or a chocolate dipping fork.) 

Let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl and then place the patties back on the foil. Once all the patties have been dipped in the chocolate, return to the refrigerator to chill until firm (30 - 60 minutes). Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (separate layers with parchment paper or wax paper) for up to one month.

Makes 25 - 30 patties.