homemade peppermint patties

Hey everyone! It's the time of year where family, snow covered lawns and chilly nights are abound, where we retreat to our warm houses for some much needed homemade treats and steaming spicy hot chocolate to keep the cold at bay.

So I bring a sweet easy-to-do treat that you can send off with guests, use as stocking stuffers or set out on a tray and see them disappear. I don't know about you but when ever I see peppermint patties they instantly remind me of Christmas. I think it has to do with the fact that each year when we head over to my Grandma's house for Christmas dinner she puts these in our stocking where I find them somewhere squashed between the apple and orange.

recipe

400g icing sugar, plus more for dusting

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 egg white

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

200g of chocolate (best you can find)

In a bowl beat the egg white with the lemon juice until it starts to foam, add the peppermint, sift in the icing sugar and combine. Once the mixture gets tough, bring together with your hands and need it a little on a surface dusted with icing sugar. You can roll out the dough and cut little rounds with a cookie cutter or you can shape by hand by rolling into a little ball placing it on a lined and dusted tray and pressing down with a fork and leave them to dry out (about 2-5hrs).

In a double broiler melt the chopped up chocolate. Dunk and cover each patty in the chocolate and let set on a lined baking sheet to dry.

Side note: If your not a fan of peppermint this mixture can easily be changed by just adding another extract. Almond or vanilla bean perhaps? You can even add a little food colouring a make the mixture green or red for a festive switch.

recipe adapted from jamie magazine.