Peppermint Patties

***Foodbuzz.com Top 9 on December 19th, 2010***

One of our favorite restaurants here in Minneapolis is called Fogo de Chao. It is an amazing Brazilian restaurant but I think my wife really likes it because they have a basket of peppermint patties at the door that she loves to fill her pockets with. Ok, maybe it's me that fills my pockets with them but they're really for her. Really.

I found this recipe and decided to add it to my cooking day while we were stuck inside all day during a blizzard last week. After I finished them, I tossed the bag of candies in the freezer and I love to take a few out at a time and snack on them while they're still cold.

My recipe below includes more peppermint extract than the original and you can increase or decrease it depending on how strong you like them. I thought it was a pretty good strength. I used a dipping chocolate that we had left over from our chocolate fountain and while it has a great flavor, it didn't harden up as much as I would have liked, so they melt in your fingers almost instantly. Next time I think I'd try to find a better dipping chcololate that's made specifically to harden back up really well.

Either way, these are a great addition to your holiday baking and  will make your dessert the one to beat!


Peppermint Patties
adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (less than 1 pound), divided
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons water

3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
10 ounces 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

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. 

Make into a log about 10-12 inches long depending on how large you want your rounds. Wrap the log in parchment paper. Freeze until firm, about 45-60 minutes. Remove parchament paper and slice log into thin rounds approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. 

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, or straight up and then drag to the side). Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate to 88 to 91°F as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.