CANDY CORN PEPPERMINT PATTIES

Peppermint Filling

• Into a bowl pour powdered sugar (4½ cups, 540 grams), corn syrup, or invert sugar syrup (3 tablespoons), room temperature water (3 tablespoons), peppermint extract (1 teaspoon), shortening (3 tablespoons) and salt (1/4tsp)
• Using paddle attachment beat at medium speed until combined. Turn the white dough onto a work surface dusted with powdered sugar. Knead with your hands until smooth.

Color with Food Colors

• Divide peppermint dough into three equally big sections. Color them with yellow and orange get colors, and leave one section white.

Candy Corn Pattern

• Shape each piece of dough into a log of the same length. then press each log down to form a thick rectangle.

  Roll each piece of dough out between two pieces of parchment paper or food wrap.

  Dust the parchment paper with additional powdered sugar if needed. You should have 3 layers: white, orange and yellow.
• Layer white, orange and yellow layer on top of each other.
• Using a rolling pin, roll it over to even out the surface so the stacked dough is evenly thick throughout. I like my patties fairly thin, about 3/16 of an inch (about 4mm).
• Chill the dough covered for 30 minutes.

Cut-Out Rounds

• Cut out as many rounds as possible using a small cookie cutter. Make sure you cut them closely so you don’t have a lot of scraps.
• Gently gather scraps, don’t knead them. Roll out the dough and make marbled patties.
• Chill cut out patties until hard.

Dip in Chocolate

• Layer a tray with wax paper.
• Have dipping fork ready ( or a medium size meat fork).
• Temper dark chocolate. See the notes.

  Alternatively, melt the dipping chocolate wafers, dip each chilled peppermint patty in the chocolate, and then nest it on the tray lined with wax paper.

  Once you are done dipping, let the chocolate set. If it's too warm, return the tray with chocolate-coated patties to the fridge. Let set for 5 minutes.
• Store in the cool, dry place, in the airtight container, layered between pieces of wax paper.