A Peppermint Crisp tart to simmer down tensions at the festive table

Now here is an easy dessert that anyone can make for the holiday season. It doesn’t require cooking and can be whipped up in minutes (30 minutes, maximum). The desert is a Peppermint Crisp tart.

Not only is the tart simple to make, but it is also a tribute to South Africa. Did you know that Peppermint Crisp chocolate was invented in South Africa during the Sixties and is now a renowned world export? (I asked ChatGPT about the origins of Peppermint Crisp chocolate, and it spat out information about the chocolate being created by Nestlé South Africa and introduced in 1966.)

It’s one of the many reasons to be proud of Mzansi. A Peppermint Crisp tart’s colours of green and gold are a tribute to the South African flag, which features similar colours. It’s also the colours of the Springbok rugby team — a part of South African culture that can bring people together as nothing else can. I think there are a few dishes available to show support for the Springbok rugby team.

To appreciate a Peppermint Crisp tart, you have to love several flavours. These are mint, chocolate, caramel, and heavy cream — overall sweetness. If you are not a fan of these flavours, I am afraid a Peppermint Crisp tart is not for you.

The only effort required when making a Peppermint Crisp tart is whipping heavy cream until soft peaks form. This will be easy when you own and use an electrical hand mixer. I don’t. So, I went the old-fashioned way of using a stainless steel whisk and my arm muscles. 

Here is a pro tip. Before whisking, put the heavy cream in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Once cooled, it will be quick to whisk the cream and for the soft peaks to form without a long and painful arm workout.

After the cream thickens, you have to fold in spoons of caramel treat, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, and chopped peppermint chocolate. Then give the added ingredients another quick whisk. What follows next is a technique of layering Tennis biscuits and sprinkling fine coconut to amplify the biscuit’s coconut flavour. 

A Peppermint  Crisp tart will be a crowd-pleaser this festive season. It probably has the power to impress your in-laws and shut down any heated debates at the table about the politics of 2024.

Ray’s Peppermint Crisp tart

Ingredients 

1 pack Tennis biscuits

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can Nestlé caramel treat

1 cup fine coconut 

3 standard Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars (chop or grate the bars into small pieces)

Method 

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Then add vanilla essence, spoonfuls of caramel treat, and half of the chopped or grated Peppermint Crisp chocolate chunks. Whisk together until the caramel mixture is thick and golden brown.

Line a dish with a single layer of whole Tennis biscuits. Top with the caramel mixture and sprinkle fine coconut. Repeat this process twice until the layers have been completely covered with the caramel mixture.

Sprinkle the last of the chopped or grated Peppermint Crisp chocolate chunks and fine coconut over the top. Cover with tin foil and chill for at least 7 hours before serving. DM