Homemade Peppermint Patties

Take that, York! I can now replicate my very, very favorite "purchased" candy at home. In fact, over coffee and a few indulgent patties last week, my sister declared the homemade version tastier than the store-bought kind. Better, thicker chocolate and a slightly smoother filling make them superior in her opinion. You be the judge, but go ahead and make up a batch!

(Disclaimer: This recipe is from the Nov 2010 issue of Family Fun Magazine. You can find it right here online. I'm also writing it out here for you so I can share the methods I used to make certain steps easier.)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cold water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (I happened to have a real lemon on hand and I used a teaspoon of juice from it- I don't think it would have a significant negative impact to use the bottled kind)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1-lb box powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 tablespoon shortening
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (I definitely needed the full bag and, in truth, my last couple of patties weren't super well-coated. If you want them all to be uniform and pretty, you may want an extra couple of ounces!)
6 starlight peppermint candies, crushed (totally optional, but pretty!)

Directions:

1. Using electric mixer, beat together 2 tablespoons water, corn syrup, lemon juice, and peppermint extract. Add half of the powdered sugar. Add shortening. Beat on medium and slowly ad the remaining powdered sugar until well combined. If mixture seems too stiff or crumbly, add additional teaspoon of water (<--I did.)

2. Form into ball and place between sheets of waxed paper. I used a rolling pin to roll into a disk about 9" in diameter and 1/4" thick. Lay disk on cookie sheet and put in freezer for about 15 min.

3. Place disk on flat surface and cut out circles. They recommend a small cookie cutter and, if you have one, that's great. I did not, so I used the rim of a very small cordial glass and that worked splendidly! Look around your house before you go out buying things, that's my motto. Anywho, cut out as many circles as you can and lay them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Gather the scraps into a ball (just like you would cookie dough) and re-roll. Cut out more circles. Repeat this process until all the filling is gone. Put circles in freezer.

4. Melt your chocolate. I do mine in the microwave, on medium, stirring every 30 seconds or so. Using a fork, dip each patty and let the excess chocolate run off. Place on waxed paper. (While "ball" candies like peanut butter balls or coconut balls will just "roll off" the fork, patties will not. You may find it helpful to use a butter knife to gently push it off onto the waxed paper.) Sprinkle each patty with a bit of crushed mint candy- you'll want to do this after every 5 or so that you dip so the chocolate doesn't set up too much on you...

5. Harden the finished patties in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It's best to store them airtight in the fridge, layered with waxed paper or parchment. These will keep up to a month but, really, I highly doubt this is going to be an issue! ;)

Yield: 5 dozen, according to Family Fun... 52 for me.

• I was amazed how quickly and easily I was able to put these together... I made them with my three "5 & under" kiddos with me. I love that you don't have to cook it to some specific temperature.
• Try not to get all bent out of shape about the corn syrup and shortening in these... it's really pretty minimal and, let's face it, we're not making health food here. If, like me, you haven't purchased shortening in five or so years and find yourself struggling to find it in the store... it's with the oils, not the baking supplies.
• Also, yes, I'm perfectly aware that, technically, it's "wax paper", but I've never been able to say or type that... just sounds wrong to me. So, for now and forever more, you'll get "waxed paper" from me. ;)

Enjoy!!!

This post is linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday