A patriotic dessert to support the boys in green.

In the past couple of months South Africa has had to deal with many losses…

Fishpaste sarmies, Hasiemelk (Nesquick), a stable electricity supply, probably chickens and eggs within the foreseeable future…as sturdy South Africans we have taken all of this in our stride. We kept calm, and as always, we are simply carrying on.

But remember when the rumours spread that Nestlé was cancelling Peppermint Crisp?

(Luckily this turned out to be a bad joke and we can still get them at our local shoppie.)

Now THAT was more than we could handle.

There was panic buying to match the 2020 toilet paper rush. There were desperate aunties and Gogo’s coming up with al kinds of alternatives, we were traumatised…

Why? (You might ask.)

The answer is sweet (but not too sweet), creamy, caramelly minty and crunchy. The answer is ice cold, comforting, moreish and as South African as “Ja, nee”,Hilux bakkies, weekend braais and Mrs Balls Chutney. (and loadshedding notifications popping up on your phone)

The answer is simply: Peppermint. Crisp. Tart.

The history of this heavenly dessert is a convergence of two classic South African products.

First of all, Wilson-Rowntree made the very first Peppermint Crisp somewhere in the 1960’s…Yep – the tart is a Mzansi classic, because the chocolate it is based on is a Mzansi invention! (Nestle bought it later and are now responsible for manufacturing Peppermint Crisp

Then, a couple of years later, we had the magic moment of Orley Whip created by two Capetonians. The story goes that Orley Whip added a recipe for a Peppermint Crisp fridge tart on its box and a classic combo was launched.

The secret of the traditional peppermint crisp tart is that it is infinitely customizable and universally loved.

Mild creamy flavour combinations with pools of caramel sweetness, tennis biscuit crumble and divine shards minty chocolate shards it is the perfect end to a day of food excess.

After the braai, nothing beats a cup of coffee and a bowl of peppermint crisp tart as the coals turn to ash and you watch the sun set…

The recipes for Peppermint Crisp Tart are truly endless. Our favourites are:

The Classic

Ingredients

• 200 g Tennis biscuits
• 360 g Caramel Treat
• 2 cups Orley Whip dessert topping.
• 400 g Peppermint Crisp chocolate — grated.

Method:

• Place the tennis biscuits in rows at the bottom of your desired dish
• Mix the Caramel in a mixing bowl until its smooth and velvety.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the Orley Whip until stiff peaks form.
• Add the Orley Whip and 100g of the grated peppermint crisp chocolate to the caramel and combine well.
• Evenly spread a generous amount of the mixture over the tennis biscuit base.
• Add another layer of tennis biscuits and caramel mixture and continue this process until your dish is full.
• Sprinkle the remaining peppermint crisp over the top and place in the fridge for 1 hour to set. Enjoy!

The Fancy

• Use the exact same recipe and method as above, but:
• Double the chocolate and use fresh cream with a generous amount of vanilla essence instead of Orley Whip.

The Over the Top

Use the “Fancy” recipe but add a splash (or two or three) of Amarula Cream Liqueur to the cream mixture…serve with more Amarula or simply give each of your guests a “Springbokkie” shooter…Make your own rules!