How to Make Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles

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Indulge in these easy, decadent Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles for Christmas this year. Requiring only 4 ingredients, this recipe is super simple to make. Mint Chocolate biscuits and caramel balls, coated in caramelised white chocolate, and studded with crushed candy canes – these truffles are a dazzling masterpiece. Gift them to a friend, or make them into a truffle tree for an edible Christmas centerpiece.

What is Peppermint Crisp Tart?

Peppermint Crisp Tart is a classic South African dessert, comprised of layers of plain biscuits, caramel, whipped cream, and peppermint crisp chocolate. This combination of flavours may sound unusual, but it is heavenly. The rich caramel, brightened by the mint chocolate, is mind blowing.

When I was thinking of flavour ideas for Christmas-themed truffles, I could not stop thinking about my favourite dessert, this Peppermint Crisp Tart. The caramel and the mint are very festive flavours, and this truffle recipe is the result. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients in Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles:

There are really very few ingredients needed to make these gorgeous Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles. You need only add 4 items to your shopping trolley.

For the Mint Chocolate Truffles:

• Mint Chocolate Biscuits – the mint flavour in the chocolate biscuits is the main source of the mint flavour. The candy canes, which go on top as a garnish, do not give a very pronounced mint flavour. You could get any kind of mint biscuit, even if it doesn’t contain chocolate.
• Tinned Caramel – In New Zealand, you can buy tinned caramel, or you can make it very easily by boiling a closed tin of condensed milk in water for 3 hours. The condensed milk will magically turn into a thick, dark, caramel which is perfect for this recipe. The caramel needs to be thick, otherwise the consistency of the truffle will not be right. You only need 1/3 of a cup for one batch (12 truffles).

For the Caramel Coating:

• Caramelised White Chocolate – in New Zealand you can buy caramelised white chocolate from the supermarket. If you are unable to source this, you can easily make it yourself by melting and caramelising white chocolate at home. Check out how to do this here.
• Candy canes – are the perfect garnish for this mint chocolate Christmas treat. They make the truffles look gorgeous, and especially festive.

Easy Method for Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles:

1. First, blitz the mint chocolate biscuits in a food processor until fine. This won’t take very long. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this the old school way. Put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin.
2. To the biscuit crumbs, add the caramel and blitz till well combined.
3. Chill this mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before rolling.
4. Roll into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper. You will not need to butter or oil your hands – the mixture is surprisingly un-sticky.
5. Put in the fridge to cool while preparing the coatings. The balls will firm up the longer you leave them in the fridge. They become fudge-like in texture. The longer you leave them, the easier it will be to handle and coat them.
6. Melt the chocolate in a Bain marie. Try to use a deep, narrow bowl, to make it easier to submerge the balls. It’s best to err on the side of more chocolate, as you will use a lot when coating the balls. It is harder to coat them if you are scraping the bottom of the bowl!
7. Peel and crush the candy canes. Put the crushed canes on a plate. I did have to get out a knife to help break up the canes into smaller pieces. They do have to be quite small, to stick to the ball.
8. One by one, dip the truffles in the melted chocolate, and place on a lined tray. Before the chocolate has thoroughly set, sprinkle with crushed candy canes. You will probably need to dip and coat 3, then dust with candy canes. Then repeat until the whole batch is coated and garnished.

Tips and Tricks for Peppermint Crisp Tart Truffles:

What consistency does the caramel need to be?

Tinned caramel provides the best consistency, because it is almost solid. If you do not have tinned caramel, you can make it by fully submerging a tin of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water. Bring to the boil, and let it simmer for at least 3 hours. When you open the lid, you will have thick, dark caramel which will be the perfect consistency for this recipe. It’s best to prepare this the day before you intend to make the truffles.

What if I don’t have Caramelised White Chocolate?

The caramelised white chocolate really does bring the caramel flavour home. If you do not have access to caramelised white chocolate, you could sub in ordinary white chocolate. It will not have the same flavour but it will still look and be delicious. Or, you could make your own caramelised white chocolate by heating white chocolate until it caramelises. Here is a recipe for this method.

Do these Truffles take long to make?

This recipe is really easy if a little time consuming. The rolling of the balls, the coating and the garnishing can be a little bit taxing. If you are pressed for time, you could quickly make and roll the balls, then store in the fridge. They will harden nicely and will be easier to coat the next day, when you may have more time to prepare the coatings. I find breaking down the steps in this way much easier, especially with young grovelling toddlers at my feet!

Are the Candy Canes Essential?

The candy canes give these truffles a festive touch. If you are making these at a non-Christmas time of year, when candy canes are not to be found, you could leave them out quite easily. The mint choc biscuits provide more than enough mint flavour.

Conclusion

I really hope you enjoy making and eating these truffles. They make a great edible gift for colleagues and friends, or a great addition to your dessert table at this years’ Christmas party. They’re so pretty, they would make a great centerpiece, stacked up like a tree!