Peppermint Patties

I work a full time job and is scheduled to work one weekend a month. This weekend is not one of them (thankfully). I have today and tomorrow to myself before starting the rest of my baking career, so I thought I'd do something fun and make peppermint patties from scratch. I made a batch of these to give as Christmas gifts, but they are so easy and so delicious I decided to make another batch today.

Here are the supplies you will need for the peppermint patties:

• Double Boiler
• Spatula
• Sharp knife (to cut the chocolate)
• Kitchen-aid Mixer (or hand mixer if you do not have a Kitchen-aid)
• 1" round cookie cutter (or shot glass if you do not have one)
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (less than 1 pound), divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 10 ounces 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

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. It should resemble a crumbly mixture.

Knead on a work surface dusted with remaining 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until smooth. Roll out between sheets of parchment paper on a large baking sheet into a 7- to 8-inch round (less than 1/4 inch thick). Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove top sheet of paper and sprinkle round with confectioners sugar. Replace top sheet, then flip round over and repeat sprinkling on other side.

Cut out as many rounds as possible with cutter or shot glass, transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, gather scraps, reroll, and freeze, then cut out more rounds, freezing them.

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). Coat remaining rounds, rewarming chocolate to 88 to 91°F as necessary. Let patties stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

These Peppermint Patties are the best! They taste just like the originals, but you know exactly what ingredients are used to make them. They will store in an air-tight container for up to a month, but I bet they won't last a day, they are that good.