Chocolate Peppermint Candies
Chocolate Peppermint Candies
Chocolate and peppermint make a great combination, and whoever first thought of that did a great thing. Think of York Peppermint Patties... oh so good. When you chill them, they are even better! Well, at Christmas time one year, I was looking for something different to make to put on a cookie tray to give out to neighbors and friends. Turns out, that putting peppermint flavored items with other things, causes the fragrance of the peppermint to mingle with the other items. So they are best to give on their own if at all.
Here is a recipe for you to try your hand at making your own peppermint candies. I hope you enjoy it.
Chocolate Peppermint Candies
Indgredients:
Three cups, or 18 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips
Four and a half cups of confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
One teaspoon of pure peppermint extract (you can use peppermint flavoring, but the other is better, in my opinion)
Two tablespoons of shortening, like Crisco
Three quarters cup of sweetened condensed milk
Directions, below
Directions
Here are the directions for making these yummy Chocolate Peppermint Candies:
First, pour your extract into the milk, and stir to combine. Next, stir in three and a half to four cups of your powdered sugar. This will turn into what seems like a stiff dough.
Put this onto a hard surface, which has had powdered sugar sprinkled on it. Add additional sugar if needed, and knead it in until you get a stiff enough dough, that it is no longer sticky at all.
With a spoon, grab enough to make one inch sized balls. Place these on a baking sheet, that has been lined with waxed paper. Gently, flatten the balls into one and a half inch circles. Let these mint circles "dry" for about an hour or so. Turn them over carefully, and let them "dry" another hour.
Next, melt your chocolate chips and shortening. You can do this with a double broiler, or a microwave. Its a good idea to always melt your chocolate very slowly. With a double broiler, you want your water only hot, not boiling and not touching the bowl or container that your chocolate is in. Patience is good at this point. I like this method over microwaving, but the microwave works well too. Make sure it is in a microwave safe bowl, and stir it often so that your chocolate all melts evenly together as much as possible.
Cool the chocolate just a little bit. Now, dip your mint patties, into the mixture of chocolate, and place on waxed paper to harden.
It is good to store your candy and chocolates in a closed container in a cool place. Separate your rows of chocolates with waxed paper. Enjoy your peppermint candies!