The beautiful and talented singer/songwriter Bianca Blanc joins me in the kitchen today! Yay! I am super excited because we are baking Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes! Well, our version of it, anyway!
Bianca Blanc, apart from being a talented singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocal and songwriting coach, amateur photographer and second year BEd student, is also an avid baker!
I grew up eating Peppermint Crisp tert on Sundays, every ouma knew how to make it. It was an 80’s staple dessert and the tart itself hasn’t evolved much because it only has four ingredients. People have, however, given it many new jackets: cakes, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, trifles, cheese cakes, ice cream, waffles, vetkoek, hot chocolate, truffles… the list goes on! We decided to bake deconstructed Peppermint Crisp Tart inspired cupcakes! And boy, it is DECADENT!
This is how I would describe it:
Moist caramel cupcakes with a Tennis Biscuit crumb base filled with homemade gekookte kondensmelk and crushed Peppermint Crisp topped with caramel buttercream, crushed Peppermint Crisp and mini Tennis Biscuits
GEKOOKTE KONDENSMELK
We decided that we didn’t want to use store bought caramel (not that there’s anything wrong with it!), we wanted to make our own gekookte kondensmelk! It took 4 hours guys! But it was totally worth it! With the first teaspoonful I was immediately 5 years old again! #nostalgia
Here’s how to make your own gekookte kondensmelk:
- Get up early
- Remove the paper label from your tin of condensed milk (Clover Condensed Milk doesn’t have a paper label)
- Place the tin in a pot of water on the stove top,
- Cover the tin with water completely
- Boil for at least 3 hours (the longer you boil it the darker the caramel becomes)
- Keep topping the pot up with boiling water, the tin should be covered throughout the boiling process
- After 3 (or 4) hours remove the tin from the boiling water
- Let it cool completely before opening otherwise it will explode and you will probably sustain injuries
Alternatively, go out and buy yourself a tin of ready made caramel! It won’t be as much fun though. And there will be none of that nostalgia…
TENNIS BISCUITS CRUMB COOKIE BASE
Do I think Tennis Biscuits can be substituted with any other biscuit in a Peppermint Crisp tert? The short answer is no. The long answer is maybe, if you can find another coconutty, buttery and traditionally South African biscuit that will immediately remind you of Peppermint Crisp tert. But if you can, use the real thing.
Place the Tennis Biscuits and melted butter in your food processor and pulse until everything is combined. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry, you can easily do this by hand. Line a cupcake tin with paper cups, place about a tablespoon of crumb mix in each cup and press down with your fingers to make a dense cookie crumb base.
MIX THE CUPCAKE BATTER
The cupcake batter is super easy to make, it’s one of those where you place all the ingredients in a bowl and you mix it until it’s all combined. Easy peasy!
Fill the cupcake cups about 3/4 full and place in the pre-heated oven for 13 – 15 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean. I find that when I have a cookie crumb base the baking times may vary so keep a close eye on your cupcakes.
Let the cupcakes cool down completely before filling them.
Cut small holes in the tops of your cupcakes (keep these) and scoop out a little extra (eat these) to make a nice big hollow for lots of filling. Start off with a nice full teaspoon of gekookte kondensmelk followed by some crushed Peppermint Crisp. Put the little cupcake lid back onto the cupcake.
ICE ICE BABY!
Top the cupcakes with liberal swirls of caramel buttercream, more crushed Peppermint Crisp and mini Tennis Biscuits!
THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING
Can you tell that Bianca Blanc really loves these Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes?
If you are in Gauteng, South Africa and you don’t feel like baking your own Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes you are welcome to order a dozen or so from our Petite Bakery. We deliver!
Peppermint Crisp Tart Cupcakes
Ingredients
COOKIE CRUMB BASE
- 120 g Tennis Biscuits crushed
- 80 g Butter melted
CARAMEL CUPCAKES
- 1 1/2 cup Cake Flour
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Caramel
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- pinch Salt
CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- 150 g Butter room temperature
- 300 g Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
- 1 tbsp Cream
- 1/4 cup Caramel
FILLING
- 1/4 cup Caramel
- Peppermint Crisp crushed
TOPPING
- Peppermint Crisp crushed
- Mini Tennis Biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C
- Line a cupcake tin with paper cups
- Place the Tennis Biscuits and melted butter in a food processor and pulse until well combined (if you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry, you can easily do this by hand)
- Spoon approximately a tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each cup
- Press down with your fingers to form a tightly packed cookie crumb base
- Place all the cupcake ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined but be careful not to overmix the batter
- Fill the cups approximately 3/4 full with the cupcake batter
- Bakefor 13 – 15 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean
- Let the cupcakes cool down completely before filling and decorating
- Place all the buttercream ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip until light and fluffy
- Make holes in the cupcakes for the filling by scooping some of it out using a teaspoon, set aside the cut-outs for later
- Fill each cupcake with a teaspoon of caramel and another teaspoon of crushed Peppermint Crisp and replace the cut-out on top of the filling
- Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and a star nozzle
- Top the cupcakes with more crushed Peppermint Crisp and Mini Tennis Biscuits (or chunks of Tennis Biscuits)
Photos: Blanc Canvas Photography
