Mint Poppets

Little bursts of mint!

Intense peppermint fondant balls surrounded by a thin layer of chocolate. They are great, very sweet and minty for when you need that sugar boost. With around 50g in a pack they do the job without necessarily weighing you down too much!!!

£0.27 per pack, not at all bad, well worth a little snack.

CHOXI - Minty, chocolatey and good for you?

So, good for you?

Well, according to the packet, the gentle way the chocolate is made the natural antioxidants in the chocolate are retained in the final product, and eaten by you!!!

Sounds good but it better be for £1.99 and only 70g.

In fairness it tastes OK. The dark chocolate is very rich and there is a hint of mint on the lips but that is all. For the price and what it claims, I think I would buy a nicer bar of chocolate and an apple - I'd probably have change left over as well.

Overall its ok and maybe a nice gimmick but I really don't eat chocolate because it's good for me and if that's what I'm paying for, I think I'll leave it thanks.

Easy Mint Choc Biscuits

This is adapted from a Rachel Allen recipe and is so so so easy!

Ingredient

6oz (170g) Plain flour
4oz (110g) Unsalted butter, cubed
2oz (50g) Caster sugar

Mint choc of your choice to taste

Method

Rub all the ingredients except the chocolate together to form a breadcrumb consistency (or just whizz it all up in a blender!!!).

Add the chocolate (as much as you like - add it and mix it until it looks how you want your finished biscuit to look).Form the dough into a ball and then press it out flat (it will seem pretty crumbly but that ok, it doesn't need to look pretty yet).

Cut out the buscuits using a biscuit cutter (be creative, find unusual shapes) and bake and 180 degrees C for 10-12 mins or until they are pale golden brown.

Cool for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely,

VOILA!

You can add pepperming extract at the dough stage if its not minty enough for you- Experiment

I love Ritter Sport

I love These!!!!

£0.99 for 100g of total bliss, possibly one of my favorite treats.

As in the picture, each tablet is half chocolate and half peppermint cream fondant. They are different from anything else because the fondant tastes like it is actually made with cream. The extremely sweet fondant is offset perfectly by the very slight bitterness of the plain chocolate, it really is the perfect snack and its very easy to eat more and more and more of them.

Have these in for when you need a sweet minty boost.

Green and Blacks - Ethical Chocolate

Green and Blacks 100g bar of mint chocolate for about £1.78 from all good shops

This is a dark chocolate bar with about 12 capsules filled with a runny peppermint cream centre.

Being a 100g bar it's a good size for sharing, nibbling or just indulging in the mint chocolate.

It is not bad however, I found that the peppermint cream to be a little bit medicinal tasting and could not eat very much at all. After a couple of pieces I was done!

It is definitely an acquired taste and I wouldn't buy this unless I had specific desire to eat it.

It is also worth mentioning that the packaging is very nice and the product is fair trade.

Mint Kit Kat

Yes Yes Yes!!

This is how Kit Kats are supposed to be! I was pleasantly surprised by how minty it was.

Inside the milk chocolate coating are alternate layers wafer and mint which make up an individual stick.

These are the perfect break time snack for anyone who is partial to the minty choc, and, as many other products fail to do, it packs a very minty punch which is absolutely amazing!!!

If it is of any interest, 2 Kit Kat sticks are only 107 calories which is pretty good!

All that is left to say is when is the Mint Kit Kat chunky going to come out???? The Kit Kat chunkies are brilliant, a thick slab of Kit Kat chocolate, all it needs is a little bit of mint in there, please please please make a Mint Kit Kat chunky!!!!

Mint Chocolate Sorbet

EASY

170g Caster sugar
70g Cocoa Powder
450ml Water
150g Dark Chocolate
15-20 polo mints (tsp of peppermint extract) to taste

What to do

Mix caster sugar and cocoa powder with 300ml of the water and bring to the boil, mixing well. Add the mint to taste then remove from the heat and add in the 150g of dark chocolate until it melts. Add the remainder of the water and mix well. Taste and add more chocolate or mint if it is required!!!

Freeze as an Ice cream (i.e. in an ice cream maker or in a container in the freezer, stirring at roughly 30min to 1 hour intervals until frozen)

To serve place in the fridge for 30 mins to soften

Voila, so easy, so delicious, so brilliant!!!

Peppermint Hot Choc

From expert village, what a brilliant idea which genuinely works!!!! Take any ordinary hot chocolate and simply add a peppermint sweet to it and There you have it........ Mint Hot Choc!! Absolute genius and so simple, I can't believe I've never done it before. Be sure to check out the other Expert Village videos which are really good!

Mint Chocolate Martini

007 would be proud of this little concoction, give a mint chocolate edge to a classic cocktail!

1/2 measure white creme de cacao
1/2 measure creme de menthe
2 measures of Vodka

Shake and strain baby, that's it!

You can garnish it with a chocolate stick and a sprig of mint and serve in a martini glass, or just have it on the rocks - the choice is yours!

You can also use other spirits, a classic martini uses gin but it doesn't go as well with this combination, however, bacardi works fine!!!


http://www.drinknation.com/drink/Chocolate-Mint-Martini

Mint Millionaire Shortbread Recipe

This uses the same base as the mint cream pie to greeeeeeeaaaaaaat effect!

Ingredients

2 pack of mint Viscount biscuits (14 per pack)
85g butter

405g can Carnation condensed milk
150g butter
150g golden caster sugar

200g of Mint chocolate of your choice!!

Baking parchment


Method

EASY

Crush viscount biscuits and combine with 85g of melted butter and press in to the bottom of a 20cm x 20cm tin (line with parchment to help get them out if you like) and chill.

Meanwhile melt 150g butter on a medium heat and add the sugar and condensed milk. Stir continuously for about 10 mins until the mixture has thickend and has started to bubble up.
Pour evenly on to the biscuit base.

Finally melt the choc and pour onto the caramel once it has set. Chill

Ta daaaaaaaaaa! done, perfect, minty millionaire shortbread!!

TIP: score the chocolate just before it has set to make it easier to cut, then cut into big or small chunks

Cadbury Snaps

These are thin curved discs of chocolate with mint chips dotted throughout. When I first opened the packet I was quite surprised how small they were (a good example of crafty extra packaging), measuring only 3-4cm across. In other words, the box makes them look bigger!

Having said that they are vvvvvv nice, far too easy to munch your way through a whole pack without realising! They are thin and the mint chips give it a bit of a crunch which is nice.

The mint is quite easy to taste in these as well which is criticism of many a mint chocolate product that this, thankfully does not succumb to!

Overall a very tasty but perhaps not the best buy for the environment conscious!

Mint Cream Pie Recipe

Ingredients
2 pack of mint Viscount biscuits (14 per pack)
85g butter

405g can Carnation condensed milk
450ml double cream
handfull of chopped mint (optional but great - use peppermint extract as a substitute)

85g Dark chocolate (or any you fancy!)

Method

Melt the butter and crush the biscuits. Combine and press into the bottom of 23cm (9in) flan tin.

Whisk the cream, condensed milk and mint until thick, then pour onto the buscuit base.

CHILL

Meanwhile melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top of the pie

ENJOY!!

This is a great recipe but enjoy with caution, it's very moreish!!!

Mint Chocolate Chewing Gum - Trident

The mint choc chewing gum recently announced by trident has finally arrived in the supermarkets!

I'ts a brilliant idea if not a little weird at first.

The gum is in the form of Tridents standard small mintly squares with a liquid chocolate filling which oozes out when you bite through the shell..... amazing!

I think its a great idea but it is more of gimmick than anything else. You get the cool trident mint choc wrapping and the initial burst of mint chocolate is outstanding for a chewing gum. However, as I suppose is to be expected, this is short lived and after a minute or so, it might as well be normal spearmint chewing gum!

I would definitely buy this again and I'm sure I will, just because its mint chocolate!

Worth a try and available from all major retailers

Nigella White Choc & Peppermint Mousse

This is posted on the BBC Website Link

From Nigella Lawson

They are absolutely fantastic, light and creamy desserts. I'm not usually a big fan of putting raw eggs into desserts that aren't cooked though. What I usually do is leave out the egg and add a bit more cream, and whip it all up into a mousse. This is a little bit more dense but at least you don't have to worry!

The recipe is from Nigella Express which is a fantastic but very very dangerous book, don't read it on an empty stomach, you may very well regret it!

Redondo Chocolate Mint Wafers

WOW! These are amazing! Absolutely great!

They are basically rolled up wafer cigars about 15cm long and filled with smooth mint chocolate.

They go great with coffee, hot chocolate tea or just on their own. The only downside is that they are so hard to find!

I found these randomly in Home Bargains for less than £2 (I think!?) and thought I would give them a try........ ever since I've been addicted!

They didn't quite pass the suck test though. This is were you take a chocolaty, biscuity thing, (such as a chocolate finger with the ends bitten off) and try and use it as a straw! This make the drink taste chocolaty and the biscuit taste...... drinky? It's all good anyway! I thinks these particular wafers were just too long and/or full of mint chocolate, neither of which is a bad thing!

I'm waiting to find out some more distributors and when I do, I will post it straight away!!

Please try these I totally recommend, they are delicious!

Here is a list of shops were they are available in the UK:

Iceland

Poundland- gondoliers brand

Poundstretcher instore- monetta

poundworld-monetta
Home Bargains

Home Made Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

How To Make Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream - Watch the top videos of the week here

This is a nice recipe. I normally go for the ratio of
2 Cream (double or whipping)
1 Milk (Skimmed, Semi or whole, depending how indulgent you feel!) and
3/4 fine sugar

Then you add whatever flavourings you like (Mint and chocolate related obviously).

I have tried similar methods to the one in the video before but I've found them to be a bit unpredictable. I think it works much better just to stick the mix in the freeze and stir occasionally (every 30 minutes to 1 hour) to break up the ice crystals.

Making your own ice cream is great but I think its a bit pointless if your going to make just the normal flavours,

Why not add your favourite mint chocolate (mint chocolate Aero Bubbles work very well for this - trust me!) to an ice cream base and a few drops of peppermint oil?

The most important thing is to be creative and make something that you really love and can't buy in the shops

Special K Bliss Review

Not so special?

Can't complain for less than 90 calories but it really wasn't anything special. The mint flavour was very, very subtle. I couldn't really taste it but my brother, with his super sense of taste assures me it's there........... I'm not convinced!

It needs to have more mint chocolate chunks in it as the texture is just a bit weak. Its like chewy special K with a little chocolate to coat and even less mint.

It is nice enough but it doesn't really differ very much from the other Special K Bliss bars, but if that's what you like then this is for you.

The best way to eat this is to get a box of your favourite mint chocolates, and eat one of those with every mouthful of the Special K Bliss bar.........Much better but it will affect the calories a little!

An offer price for the box is £1.50 from Tesco, normally costing £1.78 from most retailers.

Mint Choc Iced Coffee

Great Video, if not for the comedy value!!





Enjoy your iced coffee!! I haven't tried it yet but it just looks so simple, maybe the honey was a bit much?

Mint Chocolate Chewing Gum?!

Cadbury's brand Trident is producing a Mint Chocolate flavoured chewing Gum!!!

Sounds a bit weird but I look forward to giving it a try.

"Under the brand name Trident Sweet Kicks, the gum will be a mint-flavoured hard pellet filled with a chocolate liquid centre" - telegraph.co.uk

Read the full article on the Telegraph website

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/16/cngum116.xml

Kellogg's Special K Mint Choc!!!

From the Kellogg's website, http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/?i=221

KELLOGG’S LAUNCH SPECIAL K BLISS MINT CHOCOLATE

Release date: 28/05/2008

KELLOGG’S LAUNCH SPECIAL K BLISS MINT CHOCOLATE

- New cereal bar offers a distinct and exciting flavour

KELLOGG’S is launching an exciting new addition to its Special K Bliss cereal snacks range.

Special K Bliss Mint Chocolate offers a new and distinct flavour choice to a category dominated by fruit and nut variants.

It is the first and only low calorie Mint Chocolate snack currently on the market and Kellogg’s is confident the product will attract a new range of consumers.

The bar is a delicious medley of light and crispy cereal pieces, combined with a mint infusion on a layer of fine, continental chocolate for an intense and satisfying chocolate experience.

Mint Chocolate is a proven winner in the biscuit category - worth £25m – and the new Special K Bliss Mint Chocolate offers consumers a less indulgent option at less than 90 calories a bar.

Kellogg’s is to support the launch with a marketing and advertising campaign and expect Special K Mint Chocolate to deliver £2m in retail sales.

The company is spending £6.6m on TV advertising during 2008 to raise awareness of the Special K cereal bar brand.

Jean Yves Heude, Kellogg’s General Manager Sales & Snacks, said: “The launch of the new Special K Bliss Mint Chocolate offers a real opportunity for us to tap into a whole new consumer bracket.

“Mint Chocolate is a proven favourite in the biscuit category and now Kellogg’s are offering a healthier alternative to consumers who may be watching their shape but still want to snack on a mint chocolate treat.”

For sales information, please call 0870 2402393

Ends

Notes to Editors: For further information and images please contact Louise Davies at the Kellogg’s Press Office on 0161 869 5500.

About Kellogg’s: The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain, FruitaBu and Special K snacks. Kellogg’s is committed to helping families get active through its sponsorship of the Swim Active programme and its partnership with ContinYou has provided a network of breakfast clubs across the UK.

Video Jug - Mint chocolate explained on film!!!!

Videojug with the tag "Life explained on film" is a fantastic "how to" site with a very comprehensive and ever expanding bank of topics - explained through video!!! Genius!

Why would I mention such a thing here!! Check out the link below for an amazing mint chocolate smoothie!!!!!!

Link to mint chocolate smoothie

Trust me, it's delicious. HOWEVER..... the recipe in the film uses vanilla ice-cream in the smoothie. Not bad at all but surely it is crying out for some mint choc-chip ice cream instead!!!! And also why not add a few measures of Creme de menthe for a slightly more grown up version!

Another recipe on Videojug is how to make a Chocolate Rum Cocktail


Link to Chocolate Rum Cocktail

Brillant!!! Serve really well chilled- it's soooooooo creamy. I used green creme de menthe which I'm not sure matters, I also added a bit more rum but hey thats the way it goes!!!


There you have it, one for the kids and one for the grown ups (really its 2 for the grown ups), enjoy and Ciao.

Chocolate and Mint

What a combination! Each a mouthwatering delight on its own and yet when the two are married together a whole new world of delicious pleasure explodes into existence.

Welcome to my blog. If you like mint chocolate half as much as I do then you´re in the right place, please look forward to recipes, ideas, discussion and reviews of all things mint chocolaty!!!