Peppermint Tart

Hey there friends! It's been a while, eh? 

Over the past four weeks we have been moving into our new home, unpacking everything we can every day, moving into a hotel for the night because our brand new house flooded, then moving back in, all while trying to keep a somewhat normal schedule with the boys. It has been quite the wild ride, but I'm excited to hopefully get back into the food blogging groove again after taking a break to get everything else in life sorted out. I think a good break is healthy, and gave me a minute to prioritize everything and get our family settled in as much as possible before the holidays. 

Something I've been waiting for for a long time is to cook in our brand new kitchen, and let me tell you, it has been heavenly! Everywhere we've lived so far, I've always had this feeling of "borrowing" everything. Like the kitchens I've been using have never really felt like "home." But now, having my very own kitchen has been like Christmas every single morning. I come downstairs and I just want to cry I'm so happy with how beautiful it turned out, and how many memories we'll make for years to come. Maybe I'll share some pics, soon! If you follow me on Instagram, I gave a tour last week on Insta-stories. Or whatever the kids are calling it. haha. 

Speaking of Christmas, I have a few recipes I feel long overdue to share with you! 

This peppermint tart is sure to become a holiday staple on your dessert table this Christmas! It's super easy to throw together, and has one of my favorite holiday ingredients as the star: peppermint! 

First, place your peppermint in a food processor. I learned that these soft ones don't quite smash up perfectly, so if you use a large gallon ziploc bag with a rolling pin, it works alright, too. As long as you break up the mints a bit, you're on the right track. 

I found these at Walmart, and they were maybe $5 for over 200 of them. So yeah, we're going to be eating these for a while, I guess! haha

Next, make the crust by pulsing some Oreo cookies with melted butter in a food processor until it's a wet sandy crumble. Press it in a springform pan, or even a tart pan if you have one, and let it bake per the directions below. 

Next, for the filling! I wished I would have photographed this process! I was in a hurry to go get my son from Kindergarten, and rushed through it so I wouldn't be late. eek! 

Now for the filling - it's not like a cheesecake-y filling, more like a custardy-jello filling-like texture. So we're using gelatin to make things easy. In a small bowl, you're going to mix together the powder and cold water, then set aside to thicken. Next, we're going to add our peppermint to heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over the stovetop. Stir slowly as the candy melts beautifully into the cream. Next, remove from the heat and add in the softened gelatin and peppermint extract. Let cool. 

Next, you're going to want to fluff up all that peppermint goodness with a little help from whipped cream. Whip the heavy cream until it's light and firm (stiff peaks are preferable), then slowly fold into the peppermint mixture until it's just barely all the way mixed in. 

Empty the mixture onto your crust, let chill, then top with more whipped cream swirls and candy/sprinkles for garnish. I loved using the mints, because we all know I had a hundred hanging around! haha. 

And that's it! Super easy, right? Not too crazy, and still a break from the traditional Christmas pies you see at this time of year. Sometimes trying something a little different can be fun, and you definitely can't go wrong with this recipe! 

Be sure to tune in later this week for a couple yummy holiday drink recipes! (mocktail, style). Much love to all of you this crazy Christmas week! Hang in there, we're almost there! :) 

Peppermint Tart

makes 1 tart, about 8 servings 

ingredients:

crust:

20 oreos, or other chocolate wafer cookies

1/8 cup granulated sugar

1 stick butter, melted

filling:

1 envelope of plain gelatin (there are usually three to a pack, just use one)

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 C heavy cream, divided

1 C crushed soft peppermint candy

garnish:

whipped cream

crushed peppermint

pearl sprinkles

soft peppermint candy

method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To a food processor, add the chocolate cookies and sugar and pulse until a fine powder forms. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple times more. Press the crumble into a 9" springform pan, tart pan, or pie pan. Make sure the crust goes up the sides to create a crust edge. Bake for 8 minutes, then let cool to room temperature. 

2. To make the filling, stir the gelatin and cold water together in a small bowl, set aside. Add 1/2 cup of whipping cream to a small saucepan. Add in 1 cup of the crushed peppermint candy. Cook over low heat until all the candy is melted. Remove from heat. 

3. Add in softened gelatin and peppermint extract. Set aside to cool, but not cool all the way enough to harden. Just barely to room temperature. 

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the rest of the heavy cream (1 1/2 cups) until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the peppermint mixture into the whipped cream until just blended (not too much!). I mixed mine too much and it became a little more flat than I wanted, just a heads up. 

5. Spread the filling into the prepared crust, and top with whipped cream peaks, candy, and serve chilled. Enjoy !

Recipe adapted from: Saving Dessert