Peppermint Patties

I love food memories.

There are some tastes and flavors that have the power to teleport me back to special moments in my life. For instance, every once in a while when I pass by and catch the scent of a display of ripe plums in the market, I think back to growing up in Alabama. The front yards of my neighborhood were filled with plum trees. There were so many of them that when the trees became packed with ripened fruit it would perfume the air with a sweet and syrupy smell.

I have junk food memories too!

While I’ve been a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup man since I was about 5 years old (I even have my own special way of eating them), to me there is something nostalgic about York Peppermint Patties.

The foil-colored wrapper, strong rich smell of the deep chocolate (as opposed to the creamy flavor of milk chocolate) and those TV commercials – for some reason all of these cues remind me of my childhood. And while York patties are still available, I haven’t had one in a long long time. That’s precisely why I jumped at the chance to make them when I cam across this recipe on Epicurious.com (via Gourmet magazine).

As I was reading the recipe I wondered if the candy would taste at all like the peppermint patties that I used to eat as a child.

Would I experience the same icy cool shock of the filling? Would the chocolate be as deep and rich?

I am happy to report to you that this homemade version is just like the York patties of my memory. I must say, I really loved them.

Savoring these little treats was a fun walk down flavor memory lane.

Enjoy!

PS: I know this is bit tacky but I didn’t have a 1” cookie cutter so I rinsed out and used the top from my bottle of mouth wash to cut out the peppermint filling. Hey, necessity is the mother of invention. Also, I cut this recipe in half – it worked fine.

PEPPERMINT PATTIES

Via Gourmet Magazine

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (less than 1 pound), divided

1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free)

pinch of kosher salt

10 ounces 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Make filling: Beat 2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar with corn syrup, water, peppermint extract, shortening, and a pinch of salt using an electric mixer (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium speed until just combined. Knead on a work surface dusted with remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until smooth. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper on a large baking sheet into a 7- to 8-inch round (less than 1/4 inch thick). Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top sheet of paper and sprinkle round with confectioners sugar. Replace top sheet, then flip round over and repeat sprinkling on other side.

Cut out as many rounds as possible with cutter, transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, gather scraps, reroll, and freeze, then cut out more rounds, freezing them.

Temper chocolate and coat filling: Melt three fourths of chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove bowl from pan and add remaining chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool until thermometer inserted at least 1/2 inch into chocolate registers 80°F.

Return water in pan to a boil and remove from heat. Set bowl with cooled chocolate over pan and reheat, stirring, until thermometer registers 88 to 91°F. Remove bowl from pan.

Balance 1 peppermint round on a fork and submerge in melted chocolate, letting excess drip off and scraping back of fork against rim of bowl if necessary, then return patty to sheet (to make decorative ridges on patty, immediately set bottom of fork briefly on top of patty, then lift fork straight up). Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate to 88 to 91°F as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

Makers about 4 dozen candies

Tagged as: Candy, chocolate, Peppermint