York Peppermint Patties

In York, Pennsylvania, Henry C. Kessler first concocted this confection in the late 1930s at his candy factory, the York Cone Company. The company was originally established to make ice cream cones, but by the end of World War II, the peppermint patty had become so popular that the company discontinued all other products. In 1972, the company was sold to Peter Paul, manufacturers of Almond Joy and Mounds. Cadbury USA purchased the firm in 1978, and in 1988 the York Peppermint Pattie became the property of Hershey USA.

Many chocolate-covered peppermints had been made before the York Peppermint Pattie came on the market, but Kessler's version was firm and crisp, while the competition was soft and gummy. One former employee and York resident remembered the final test the patty went through before it left the factory. "It was a snap test. If the candy didn't break clean in the middle, it was a second." For years, seconds were sold to visitors at the plant for fifty cents a pound.

According to Joy of Baking, Peppermint Patties are a combination of confectioners sugar (powdered or icing), butter, flavorings, and evaporated milk. In order to get that real authentic peppermint taste, peppermint oil must be used, not peppermint extract. Peppermint Oil has a much stronger and more concentrated flavor than peppermint extract so only a small amount of the oil is needed to give these patties that cool and refreshing mint flavor. Unfortunately, peppermint oil is not found in grocery stores. You can find it at some pharmacies, health food stores, or you can order it on the Internet from the bakerscatalogue.com or amazon.com.

Once the batter is made it needs to be chilled before rolling into balls. (Most recipes roll the dough out and cut the patties using a biscuit cutter. You can probably get the candies thinner this way.) Then the balls are flattened into a patty shape and refrigerated again until firm. All that is left to do is to dip each peppermint patty in melted chocolate that has been combined with a little vegetable shortening. The shortening keeps the chocolate shiny even when refrigerated. It also means we do not have to temper the chocolate; a step that most of us like to avoid. These patties will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month and make a unique and welcome holiday gift.

Peppermint Patties ingredients from Hershey’s web site: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa, Milk Fat, Lecithin, Cocoa Butter, PGPR, Natural Flavor, Milk), Invert Sugar, Egg Whites, Oil of Peppermint.

Invert sugar is an edible mixture of glucose and fructose, which are both simple sugars. Invert sugar indeed is “sweeter than sugar” – in fact, it's 125% sweeter than ordinary white table sugar. That's one of the reasons bakers love it: it packs a stronger punch with less product. See What is Invert Sugar? (with recipe).