Peppermint Patties

Homemade Peppermint Patties! If you like peppermint and chocolate...you must try to make these! The holidays wouldn't be the same at our house without these minty little bites. These have a very firm but creamy peppermint filling - similar to a York Peppermint patty but even better! The filling is firm & crisp yet creamy on the tongue. It is a lovely mix of crisp peppermint flavor with the delicate flavor of chocolate coating. The only problem with making them is you can't stop eating them! I do not recommend making these if you are on a diet or love mint! This is another one of my old favorites because you don't have to alter the recipe or buy special ingredients to make them gluten free. (These are also quite delicious dipped in white chocolate or milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate too!) If you don't really like peppermint flavor you can substitute other flavors like strawberry, maple, lemon, orange or whatever flavor you like!

These are scrumptious little treats to make for Valentine's Day, Weddings, Birthdays, Baby Showers or just because you want to do something nice for your family and friends. I like these because you can make them weeks ahead and store in containers with wax paper between layers. They don't need to be refrigerated & they don't go stale like cookies. You can also add food coloring to the filling to make it customized for the occasion. (Pink or blue filling for a baby shower, etc). These are also more fun to make with a friend or two because it will go faster and you can enjoy visiting while being productive. I had the pleasure of making mine with my dear friend Judi this year. We whipped out a double batch in less than an hour. (Of course we had her fancy Kitchen Aid mixer which is a heavy duty one so the mixing was easy!) It was fun visiting while we worked together making these yummy little bites of heaven. I wish the holiday season wasn't so crazy and hectic and I made more time for doing things like this more often with friends during the holidays. (That will be my New Year Resolution for 2013!)

Don't let the ingredients fool you. These contain cream cheese but you will not be able to taste cream cheese at all! Everyone is always so surprised that these contain cream cheese. I have been making this recipe for many years after I saw it in a Taste of Home magazine. (Of course I have tweaked the recipe just a little!)

Ingredients

Peppermint Patty Recipe:

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 4 tsp. peppermint extract (sometimes I add an extra teaspoon or two if I think it needs to be stronger - we like our peppermint patties very minty at our house. You can add a little less if you don't like strong mint flavor. You can also substitute a different flavor other than peppermint if you prefer). NOTE: Be sure it is peppermint extract and not spearmint extract.
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I have had the best luck with Nestle brand melting the smoothest for dipping. I used the Hershey brand this year and it was thicker and harder to dip the patties for proper coating).
• 3 tbs. Crisco (if necessary to thin the chocolate when melting it for a smooth thin dipping chocolate

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and extract until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well with each addition. Shape into 1" balls (I make mine into about 2" balls most of the time) and place on wax paper lined baking sheets. Flatten into patties. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. (This prevents them from falling apart when you dip them into the hot melted chocolate). 

In microwave, melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and melted. If your chocolate is thick and difficult to use for dipping, add Crisco and stir until melted and smooth. (This should thin your chocolate). Dip patties into melted chocolate allowing excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper until set. (You may need to reheat chocolate to thin it down again sporadically. Adding cold patties to the warm chocolate will chill it causing it to thicken). You can use a double boiler instead of microwaving the chocolate to melt it but just be sure that the steam from the double boiler or the water does not get into your chocolate or it will not be smooth. After these are dry and set, I melt some white chocolate or almond bark and drizzle over the top of the peppermint patties just to dress them up but you don't need to do that.

Note: These are not difficult to make but you need to have a decent mixer or food processor because the inside filling is very thick and you don't want to damage your appliance. You may have to hand mix & knead the last cup or two of powdered sugar for the peppermint filling if your mixer is struggling.

I hope you enjoy the recipe for a great gluten free treat! Make a double batch. One for your family & one batch to share with friends during the holiday season. They are great hostess gifts and compliment a cookie tray nicely. Happy Holidays! (These are also a great treat for Valentine's Day!)

Tanja
Gluten Free Casually