Belly of the Beest

Home made “Senior” mints or Junior Mints

These mints are a quick easy Christmas gift if you are looking for a last minute present for co-workers or family members. Or birthday gift, just thinking of you gifts….any occasion really. They are even more delicious than the store bought kind, because you can eat them with the knowledge that you aren’t eating weird additives. You’re eating straight sugar and fat. That’s better, right?

Enjoy these and I would double or triple straight off the bat because they are too good to resist.  You will eat half and then realize your gift looks skimpy. Then, you’ll keep eating them and suggest that your roommate try a couple and then they’ll be gone and you have to start over again. More baking fun coming soon!

Peppermint Patties or “Senior” mints

Peppermint Patties
(adapted from Karen Solomon’s Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it)

Combine all the liquid ingredients and slowly add them to the dry ingredients. I would start with a whisk and then move on to an electric mixer so your powdered sugar doesn’t fly everywhere. Then mix until the dough becomes malleable –it will start forming small balls or little chunks.

Pinch off little pieces of dough and roll them into balls if you want to copy Junior Mints, or if you like Peppermint Patties more, simply flatten the balls into disks. You can make them as large or as small as you like, but I found that nickel or quarter pieces work best. The quantity will vary depending on how big you make your pieces. Next, place these on parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.  Freeze for twenty minutes or until you remember to get them out of the freezer.

Ms. Solomon says to microwave your chocolate, but I find this to be a really quick way to burn the shit out of chocolate. I would suggest a double boiler to melt your chocolate. If you don’t have a real double boiler, just grab two pots (one has to be bigger than the other) and put about 1-2 inches of water in the larger pot. Then, put the little pot inside the bigger pot. Put your chocolate into the smaller pot and turn on the heat. This will keep your chocolate from burning and will keep it warmer when you start dipping the middle pieces. When your chocolate has melted, take the a few pieces of the peppermint dough out of the freezer and dip them into the chocolate.

Again, a slight change, Solomon says to put them on a cookie rack to dry. I did this and they were impossible to get off the rack. Put them on wax paper so that the bottoms are at least even and will come off the sheet. When I was done making these the first time, the cookie rack had more chocolate on it than the mints did.

Anyway, continue dipping the pieces into the chocolate until you are finished. Let them cool completely before moving them. Store them for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container, but I would be surprised if these little guys make it through the night. They are too good not to eat right away.

More soon!

Print Friendly