I make these every year and have for so many years I don't even recall the first I made them.
I don't have a recipe wrote down anywhere as it's really just so simple, only has a couple ingredients and it's really just a quick 'taste' test to know if you like the amount of peppermint and that's about it.
The things I would mention that I've learned or tested through the past 20 years of making these would be this;
- Good quality/good tasting chocolate.
- Peppermint oil not a water based extract.
- A scoop of shortening to thin out the chocolate a bit
- Mix the chocolate chips for the best flavor
I mix milk chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate for the best flavor that our family prefers.
A spoonful of Crisco shortening will help your chocolate melt smooth and not be too thick, yet won't affect the drying and hardening of the chocolate. For 'new' bakers out there - don't add water to thin your chocolate! It will make it seize up. You need to use oil based everything in working with melted chocolate.
Faux Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies
Ritz Crackers
Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips and/or Milk Chocolate Chips
Peppermint Oil flavoring (more intense than extract)
A scoop of Crisco shortening
Amounts are completely up to you based on how many you want to make.
Start with the chocolate chips and either melt in the microwave, stirring often, or a double boiler method.
Stir in a spoonful or two of shortening. I use about a tablespoon per 2 cups chips. Give or take.
When melted, add your peppermint flavor. Remember you want it to be a little strong, like Girl Scout Cookies are; but not too strong!
Stir in about 1/4 t of peppermint oil to start. Add by drops until you get a strong, delicious taste you like. Stronger is better than weaker but don't trust your taste buds after the first taste or two, employ a 'helper' to dip a cracker and do a taste test.) I use LorAnn Peppermint Oil.
Work quickly so your chocolate doesn't set up while you are dipping, or keep it warming in a bowl or pan over another pan of hot water (double boiler style). You can get about 1 sleeve of crackers dipped with about 6-8 oz. chocolate chips.
Using a fork, dip the Ritz crackers one by one to cover in the melted minty chocolate coating and let the excess drip off before laying on parchment paper, foil or wax paper. Let harden or if you are in a rush, refrigerate to harden.
Ok... for those of you who want the chocolate wafers - I found this recipe although I don't make the chocolate wafer style.
1 package chocolate fudge cake mix
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup cake flour
1 egg
3 T water
nonstick cooking spray
Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until it forms a dough. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough very thin (about 1/16 " thick). Cut out 1 1/2 inch wafers using a scalloped cookie or biscuit cutter. If you do not have one, use a juice glass, the lid of a spice jar or even a clean cutter from your kids play-doh set if they have one! Bake for about 10 minutes until crisp but don't let them burn. Let them cool completely and then dip the same way as stated above. If you make the chocolate wafers you'll need about 2 1/2 - 3 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips to cover all the wafers.
Can be frozen for storage.
This is my second batch of the day - using the same bowl obviously so it's messy. But, dipping chocolates IS messy. One of the many reasons I hate dipping chocolate anything.
Freshly dipped. Now let them set a couple hours and they will harden and be perfect!
Use a good quality peppermint oil - not a water based extract. Water will make your chocolate seize up and get hard - you'll have to throw it out as you can't use seized chocolate for dipping!
I hate chocolate.
I hate dipping chocolate.
But I love my family.
And my family loves chocolate.
