Mint jelly, after dinner mints, and the dark green liqueur Crème de Menthe – it seems that mint was a popular theme in the 70s.
As a kid I remember gazing into the glass cabinet at the local corner store, which was filled with lollies, where there was never a shortage of mint: Minties, Tic-Tacs, Wrigley’s Spearmint gum, Aero Mint, sugary mint leaves, green jellybeans, mint Lifesavers, Mint Patties and Peppermint Crisp bars.
I had been wanting to make this gorgeous looking dessert for a while so when I was asked to participate in the Great Australian Bakeline and make a dish typical of the 1970s, it was the perfect excuse!
After making these surprisingly easy sweeties I took them to the office for my hungry work pals to taste. The result: an overwhelming success! The delicious combination of caramel minty goodness went down a treat, these little beauties are guaranteed to be a dinner party hit.
Other renditions of this dessert have been as one big pie but I think they are much prettier individually. I used 4 x Baker’s Secret 12cm loose base tart pans which made the pies the perfect size for one. The non-stick pans are really easy to use and clean. To view the full range of Baker’s Secret products visit the World Kitchen website.
Update: These little beauties also made it into the August 2012 edition of the World Kitchen ‘Stir the Pot’ newsletter!
Mini Peppermint Crisp pies
250g digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted
600g caramel condensed milk
400ml whipping cream
1 Tbs icing sugar
100g Peppermint Crisp
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor and mix in a bowl with the melted butter. Press the base mixture firmly onto 4 x 12cm tart pans. To set, freeze for 15mins.
- With a wooden spoon, beat the caramel in a bowl until smooth. Gently spread the caramel over the bottom of the bases, trying not to lift any of the biscuit crumbs.
- Whip the cream and icing sugar together until it holds shape. Carefully spoon the cream thickly, covering the caramel. Refrigerate bases until ready to serve.
- To serve: Break or chop Peppermint Crisp bars into fine pieces. Generously sprinkle crumbled peppermint and chocolate over each pie.
Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
These look amazing! I don’t think we have Peppermint Crisp in the UK, otherwise this would make it onto my “must try” list!
It’s so easy to make! Maybe you could try it with a local mint chocolate bar?
I’ve managed to find Peppermint Crisp bars from an online shop that specialises in food from NZ, Australia and South Africa – time to give these a go, I think!
Fabulous! Can’t wait to hear how you go!