With loads of traditional sweet delights South Africa has to offer, including milk tart and koeksisters to Cremora tart and delicious Don Pedro’s, the ‘anything-with-peppermint-crisp’ treats are still firm favourites!

For most South Africans, the love for peppermint crisp probably started with the first bite of the lusciously creamy peppermint crisp tart that countlessly graced our tables.  Here’s a few variations to sink your teeth into:

Delicious peppermint recipes

1. Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cake

(Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

Chocolate Biscuits

• 100g butter, softened
• 50g Natura Sugars Golden Caster Sugar
• 100g self-raising flour
• 25g cocoa powder

Mint No-Churn Ice Cream

• 1 x 400g tin condensed milk
• Handful fresh mint leaves (about 12g)
• 500ml cream, whipped
• 50g chopped peppermint crisp bar

Ice Cap Chocolate Sauce

• 1 cup good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (use unflavoured if you like)

Frosted Mint Leaves

• Handful fresh mint leaves
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1/2 cup Caster Sugar
• Chopped peppermint crisp, to decorate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius conventional (or 160 degrees Celsius for fan-forced). Line a cookie sheet with baking paper. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients to form a soft dough then shape into a log on a lightly floured surface, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Once chilled, cut the dough into 1/4cm thick discs and place on the lined baking tray, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are cooked through but still soft.  Allow to cool completely.

For the ice cream, place the condensed milk in a blender and add the mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Pour into the whipped cream and fold through gently. Lastly, fold in the chopped peppermint crisp. Prepare 20cm springform cake tin by lining the outside with cling wrap.  To assemble the ice cream cake, arrange a layer of the biscuits in the bottom of the cake tin then pour 1/2 the ice cream mix over the top, add another layer of cookies, the rest of the ice cream and finish with a final layer of cookies then place in the freezer until firm. Pour any leftover ice cream in a separate container and freeze until firm.

To make the frosted mint leaves, brush the leaves with a thin layer of egg white then toss in the caster sugar. Place on a cooling rack and allow to dry for 3-4 hours.  Unmould the ice cream cake by dipping briefly in room temperature tap water then loosening the bottom. Place on a cake stand then top with scoops of the leftover ice cream, drizzle with the chocolate sauce and decorate with chopped peppermint crisp and the frosted mint leaves.

Recipe sourced from: thekatetin.com

2. Peppermint Crisp Waffles

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Waffles

• 2 large eggs
• 125g self raising flour
• 1 cup Amasi (fermented milk that tastes like cottage cheese or plain yogurt)
• ½ tin caramel
• 20g desiccated coconut
• 3Tbs olive oil
• 2Tbs brown sugar
• 20g corn flour
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Sauce

• 180g caramel
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Toppings

• ½ cup cream – whipped
• 150g mint chocolate – chopped
• 60g soft toffees, chopped
• 80g mini hard-shell Easter eggs
• mint leaves – to garnish (optional)

Method:

For the waffles, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Heat a waffle maker until hot, spoon out 4 portions and cook the waffles according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the sauce, heat the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until melted and keep aside. If it thickens on standing then simply thin it out with a splash of cream or milk.

To serve, top each waffle with a dollop of whipped cream, some chopped mint chocolate, soft toffees and Easter eggs. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with mint, if preferred.

Recipe sourced from: food24.com

3. Peppermint Crisp Cake

(Serves 8 – 10)

Ingredients:

Cake

• 90-125 ml cocoa powder and extra for dusting
• 750 ml (3 c) cake flour
• 350-500 ml white sugar
• 10 ml (2 t) bicarbonate of soda, sifted
• 160 ml (²/3 c) oil
• 30 ml (2 T) vinegar
• 10 ml (2 t) vanilla essence
• 500 ml (2 c) cold water
• Fillings and Toppings
• 1 can (360 g) caramel condensed milk
• 250 ml (1 c) creamed cottage cheese
• 4 bars (69 g each) Peppermint Crisp chocolate
• 250 ml (1 c) cream, chilled and stiffly whipped cocoa powder for dusting
• mint leaves to garnish

Method:

Cake

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease two 20-cm cake tins. Dust with cocoa powder.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Beat together the oil, vinegar, vanilla essence and cold water. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 40-50 minutes or until done. Leave to cool slightly and carefully halve each cake horizontally.

Filling and topping

Mix the caramel condensed milk and cottage cheese.

Break 3 of the chocolate bars into pieces.

Put a cake layer on a plate, spread a layer of the caramel mixture over and scatter Peppermint Crisp shards on top. Repeat the layers ending with caramel mixture.

Top the cake with dollops of cream. Break the remaining chocolate bar and scatter the shards over the cream. Dust with cocoa powder and garnish with mint leaves.

Recipe sourced from : news24.com

4. Peppermint Crisp Hot Chocolate

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 500ml milk
• 100g good-quality 70% dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 peppermint crisp bar, crushed plus extra to garnish
• whipped cream, mini white marshmallows, to decorate

Method:

Whisk the cocoa powder, sugar and 3 tbsp milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick and glossy. Whisk in the rest of the milk, chopped dark chocolate and peppermint crisp. Heat until just below boiling point then pour into cups. Decorate with whipped cream, marshmallows, chocolate shavings and peppermint crisp.

Recipe sourced from: thekatetin.com