Peppermint Slice

I was on the hunt for something green to make in honour of St Patrick’s day tomorrow. I love mint things but have never attempted a peppermint slice before and thought now was as good a time as ever to give it a go. Peppermint slice filling can be made with kremelta (vegetable shortening – what most bought slices tend to be made with), butter or melted butter. Not having any kremelta I adapted a couple of recipes and came up with the following recipe:

Ingredients:
Base
150g butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1½ cups flour
¼ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon baking powder
2-4 tablespoons of milk depending on how dry your mix is

Filling
200g butter, softened
2½ cups icing sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons cream
2 teaspoons peppermint essence
½-1 teaspoon green food colouring (depending on your desired colour)

Topping
200g dark chocolate
4 tablespoons cream

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line an 18cm x 28 cm pan with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix together until combined. Adding milk as needed.
Press the mixture into the base of the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm. Set aside to cool.
To make the filling, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the cream, peppermint essence and food colouring. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled base.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before topping.
To make the chocolate topping place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water and mix until smooth and combined. Allow the chocolate mix to cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring it over the peppermint layer and return to the fridge.
Wait for the chocolate to set before cutting the slice into small pieces (for a perfect finish, use the tip of a sharp knife to mark cutting lines in the chocolate topping just before it sets).

I hope you enjoy the slice as much as I am right now, if peppermint isn’t your thing but you’d like to bake something for your St Paddy’s day celebration you could try making this beer cake using Guinness or maybe some Bailey’s/Irish Cream cupcakes – I think that might be me next year!

Choc Peppermint Cupcakes

 
I love peppermint, it reminds me of my Gran, so when I saw this recipe in a NZ Woman’s Day magazine I had to try it!

To give it a go yourself you will need:
125g butter
⅔ cup caster sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint essence
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups self raising flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon cocoa
½ cup grated dark chocolate

1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C and line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases.
2. In a large bowl mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, the beat in essence.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift flour and cocoa together and lightly fold into the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Fold in chocolate.
6. Fill patty cases evenly about ⅔ of the way up.
7. Place tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Once cooked remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack.
8. To ice the original recipe suggests that you place a white fondant disk on top of the cupcake with half a chocolate mint to decorate but I have made a simple butter cream icing and coloured it green as well as adding a couple of drops of peppermint essence to compliment the cupcake and piped it.

They were the perfect treat to enjoy while watching the royal wedding!