We’re celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with family, friends, home-brew, and Irish food.  I used to make Irish car bomb cupcakes.  They’re so good; they smell like chocolate doughnuts as they bake.  Last time I made them I also made a batch of chocolate chip muffins so the little cousins would have something that looked the same, but without the booze.  Muffins are just easier to make than cupcakes.  With frosting on top, kids won’t know the difference, right?  Wrong!  They knew I tried to disguise muffins as cupcakes, and they were not impressed as they watched the adults devour real Guinness chocolate cupcakes with Baileys Irish cream frosting.  I still feel guilty about this.

So this year I made something different:  peppermint patties, using homemade mint extract.

Mint is growing wild around the yard with all the rain we had this winter.  The peppermint has pointy leaves.  The spearmint leaves are more rounded and textured.  You can use any kind of mint in the following recipes, but don’t use spearmint and call them peppermint patties.  That would be like making muffins and calling them cupcakes.

Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Peppermint Patties

Ingredients

For the mint fondant:

• 1 ¾ – 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
• 1- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract (recipe follows)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• little pinch of salt (if the butter is unsalted)

For the chocolate coating:

• ¾ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Sift 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar into a medium bowl.

Blend in the butter, coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract, vanilla, heavy cream and salt (if using).  Mint extracts vary in strength, so taste it to see if it’s minty enough.  You can add a bit more in droplets.  Blend the mixture well.  It should be a smooth and pliable enough to roll into a ball.  If it feels sticky, add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time.

Put the fondant on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into an 8-inch log.  Chill it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet (one that fits in your freezer) with wax paper.  Remove the fondant from the fridge, unwrap it, and slice it into ¼-inch thick rounds and place them on the wax paper.  Pat them smooth into neat rounds as you go.  Chill them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

In the mean time, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave or in a double-boiler.

For the microwave: Heat on half-power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until they’re melted.

For the stove:  Use a double-boiler or make one using a heat-proof bowl that fits snugly in the top of a saucepan without touching the bottom.  Put a little water in the bottom of the saucepan or double-boiler and put the chocolate chips and coconut oil in the bowl.  Heat over medium-low and stir until the chips melt.

Remove the fondant rounds from the freezer; they should be very firm.  Loosen each one from the wax paper using a spatula.  With two forks, dip and flip each round in the melted chocolate and return them to the wax paper-lined baking sheet.  Continue until they’re all coated.  Place them back in the fridge to firm up, about 15 minutes.  Use a spatula to remove them from the wax paper.  Store them in the refrigerator or freezer.

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Homemade Double Mint Extract

Ingredients:

• mint leaves, washed and dried
• vodka

Fill a small bottle or jar with the mint leaves.  Cover with vodka.  Allow it to sit for about 10 days in a dark place.  Strain the mint leaves and discard them, reserving the infused vodka.

Fill the bottle with fresh mint leaves.  Pour the infused vodka over them and store it for another 10 days.  Strain out the leaves and return the extract to the bottle.

Keeps forever.