Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - local really is "lekker"

A criticism of South Africans (and pretty much all antipodeans in London) is that we arrive from sunnier Southern climes, find jobs, find accommodation and then proceed to live in little self-imposed ghettoes, socialising only with other South Africans, eating only out of South African shops, drinking in South African-themed bars, wearing Sprinkbok rugby jerseys everywhere, and generally spending time slagging off the English - our hosts!  And I do have to say that there is some truth in this. It is very hard to stick out your finger in Wimbledon/Earlsfield/Southfields and not poke a South African, because a lot of us really do congregate there.  And I have spent many a night talking to South Africans in London and thinking "good grief - you're in LONDON!  Stop carrying on about the weather - you didn't come here for the weather!!"

But let's not forget that there is always an exception that proves the rule.  Since we arrived here, Nick and I have been Eastenders.  We have never lived west of Canary Wharf and am not aware of any South Africans in our street.  Sure, you do hear Afrikaans on the train occasionally, but we are more likely to bump into our Lithuanian, Irish, Indian, Finnish or West-Indian neighbours than other Saffers.  Although I get terribly homesick, I also experience moments of such intense joy at being in London that I want to run laughing through the streets yelling "Hey, everybody, look!  I actually live here in one of the most exciting cities in the world!!"  On the other hand, you are what you are: there's no denying your roots.  And so, like clockwork, once a year Nick and I host a Big South African Braai.  Not to surround ourselves with only South Africans, but to give all our friends a little taste of what home means to us.

We usually have between 10 and 17 people in our tiny garden and we have a rich mix of natinalities and backgrounds.  This year we had 3 Brits, 5 Saffers (including me and Nick), 2 Aussies, 2 Kiwis. a German and a Mexican. So naturally we felt compelled to educate them on the finer points of South African cuisine ;-)  In the past, we have treated them to chakalaka, seven-layer salad, sosaties, braai sarmies and snoek.  And this year we treated them to not one but TWO South African delicacies:  chicken sundowners (will be blogged in a later post, I promise) and Peppermint Crisp fridge tart.

I don't know what it is about this desert that makes grown men go all misty-eyed and women look wistful, but it is one of those desserts that everyone seems to like.  It is absolutely not fancy, pretty, clever or remotely sophisticated.  But I can guarantee you that every South African reading this has tasted it because it is one of those things that every South African mom has at some stage made when catering for masses of people... say, at a braai.  Some people whom I invited but could not make it were upset not about missing the braai, but about missing the pudding!  In fact, it has become so ingrained in the South African culinary psyche that I was amused to see on my visit home in June that it has become a chocolate flavour!  Cadbury's Dairy Milk has brought out a range of "Local is lekker" chocolates in flavours like milk tart and... mint crisp fridge tart.  Jawellnofine.

So what is this ambrosial pudding?  OK, don't wince when I tell  you.  Many moons ago, a South African company called Orley Foods developed a range of non-dairy cream substitute products.  The flagship product was (and still is, apparently) Orley Whip which looks like single cream, whips up to three times its original volume and can be stored in the fridge for up to three months.  My recipe for this pudding was copied down from a package insert in a pack of Orley Whip a long time ago, probably much like every other South African I know.  The recipe combines Orley Whip with Caramel Treat (caramelised condensed milk) and Peppermint Crisp (a chocolate bar from Nestle that features a filling of tightly packed, long and very brittle tubes of BRIGHT green mint-flavoured candy - looks like Kryptonite and tastes madly minty), layered with Tennis biscuits (shortbread-ish coconut-flavoured cookies).  It struck me that it is in some ways a South African take on tiramisu, minus the culinary history and the fashionability ;-).  The final product is not overly sweet, thanks to the peppermint and the fairly neutral biscuit layers, but is rich enough to go a long way.  And I distinctly remember seeing plates licked clean.

So clearly, local is lekker, even if you have never set foot in South Africa!

PEPPERMINT CRISP FRIDGE TART (serves 6-8)

Ingredients:
250ml Orley Whip, whipped
2 packets of Tennis biscuits (although you will probably use less)
375g caramelised condensed milk
20ml caster sugar
3 Peppermint Crisp bars, crushed
3-4 drops of peppermint essence (more, if you like))

Method:
Whip the Orley Whip and then add the caramelised condensed milk castor sugar and peppermint essence.  Beat until well mixed and then stir in 2/3 of the crushed Peppermint Crisp.

Place a layer of whole tennis biscuits in a buttered 29x19x5cm dish.  Spoon 1/3 of the caramel mix over the buscuits and spread evenly.  Continue in layers, finishing with a layer of filling on top.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Decorate by sprinkling the remainder of crushed peppermint crisp on top.  Cut into squares and serve.

SUBSTITUTIONS: 
You can substitute whipping cream for Orley Whip, but the outcome may be even richer than this pudding already is!  I used Elmlea, a half-dairy cream available in the UK.  Apparently the American Cool Whip is a near-identical product.  For caramelised condensed milk, you can use dulce du leche or you can make your own by boiling a tin of normal sweetened condensed milk (warning:  hazardous!!).  The Tennis biscuits may prove problematic, although I have seen forums in Australia advising the use of a typr of Arnott's coconut biscuits or Nice biscuits.  Any other suggestions welcome.  And as for the peppermint crisp... sadly, for that you will have to bite the bullet and buy it from a South African shop.  Not sure if anything else like it exists.  Maybe start campaiging for Nestle to produce it worldwide? ;-)

This post is my submission to this month's Sugar High Friday, hosted by my friend and holiday companion Johanna.  The theme is local delicacies and you still have till 27 August to get entries in. 

Comments

[Josh]

You're right on the money, this is the best dessert/teatime treat/comfort food EVER...beyond delicious. I'm a Saffie living in Taiwan and believe me SA products are few and far between. I use regular cream, regular mint chocolate and digestive biscuits. And as far as boiling the condensed milk goes,, yes it's hazardous and tedious(it takes hours of boiling, checking the water levels and praying for the best) but oh so worth it!Not the real deal but close enough to close your eyes and go mmmmmmmmm.....!

[Kalyn]

Very interesting sounding dish. I'll have to send this to my brother to see if he had any of this when he lived in South Africa.

[kat]

you can't say you didn't warn us... :) well done!
the pics look great, and i am so intrigued by the "local is leeker" range from cadburys - will definitely look out for those next time i'm home.

[ronell]

Oh jeanne, this will alwasy be a favorite! When we go back home for a visit, we have to have a piece of this delicacy before we leave there! Seeign your beautiful photo makes me licking my lips!
Ronell

[Robert]

Aaahhh...peppermint crisp tart - I have not had that in years. Mores the pity too. It is almost worth hosting a braai just for the excuse of making it.

Did you also bite the ends of peppermint crisps and drink milk through it when you were a kid? Those mint crystal tubes make the perfect straw - it is messy but fun.

Am also interested in this new range of choccies from Cadbury's - will have to impose on my mother to send some samples up for me to try - am especially intrigued by the milktart flavour...

[Aquila]

I made some just a few weeks ago, but mine was pretty much just a pack of tennis biscuits, 250ml cream (whipped), the caramel condensed milk and a peppermint crisp. This one looks even sweeter...

Either way, it always goes down a treat.

[Tricolor]

Tiramisù: heaven in your mouth!

Ingredients:

- caffé -
360 cc espresso coffee
2 teaspoons sugar

- zabaione -
4 egg
100 gr sugar
120 cc marsala wine
450 gr mascarpone cheese
230 cc heavy whipping cream

- cake -
285 gr savoiardi
2 tablespoons bitter cocoa powder

Method:

- caffé -
Prepare a very extra strong espresso italian coffee.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons sugar in it, when the coffee is still hot. Let the coffee cool at room temperature.

- zabaione -
Beat the egg yolks in a heat proof bowl or in the bowl of a double boiler, until they become fluffy. Beat in the sugar and the Marsala wine.
Transfer the bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk until the cream thickens. The zabaione will thicken just before boiling point, when small bubbles appear.
With a rubber spatula, mash the mascarpone cheese in a bowl until creamy.
Add the zabaione into the mascarpone cheese, and beat to mix very well.
Whip the cream. Fold the whipped cream into the zabaglione–cheese cream, until smooth.

- assembling cake -
Lightly soak the ladyfingers in the coffee, one at a time.
Place them in one layer in a container of about 30x20 cm.
Evenly distribute half of the zabaglione cream over the ladyfingers.
Repeat the step with a second layer of ladyfingers, and top with the rest of the cream.
Sprinkle with the cocoa powder and refrigerate for about 3 – 4 hours.

…welcome in the Italian paradise.
Ciao bella!

[Super Sarah]

I just had to comment on this, I am a Saffer recently moved to Sydney from London and just the mention of Tennis biscuits has me salivating! I am going straight to the supermarket tomorrow to look for Arnott's coconut biscuits and Nice biscuits and I will do a taste test and come back to you! I am also going to make a pilgrimage to a Saffer butcher I have heard of because I am just craving biltong so badly! thanks for a delicious reminder of home! I have been reading your blog for years whilst in London and still check in regularily from Sydney!

[Rachel]

Goddess that looks gorgeous! I can't wait to try making it!

[Nikita]

Dankie! op my blog gesit met 'n link na jou site...dit lyk heerlik!

[Judith]

Wow, this looks amazing! I wish I had the ingredients to replicate it, but for now I'll just gush over the pictures. Makes me think of a friend of ours who stayed with my mother and I for several years of my childhood... he was born in South Africa and though his parents were American, he spoke Afrikaans and sometimes would recite poetry to me. It was strange, how like Dutch I could understand the spirit of what he was saying (I speak German), but couldn't give you a word for word translation to save my life!

[Blularkie]

Hi! Im from Malaysia and learnt the recipe from my host when I was in SA for 3 months... Sad to say, we don't got no orley or caramel treat or chocolate mint here. Its rare to even find peppermint ice cream. But I tried making it the other day, with regular whipping cream and without boiling the condensed milk, Dairy milk chocolate and a few clorets mints blendered. It turned out ok, minus the caramelly flavour and doesnt set that nicely.

How do you 'boil' the condensed milk? Does it take very long and won't it be sticky?

[Jaco]

When i make mine, it doesn't always set too well and is often quite runny. Am i doing something wrong? Can i add something different like gelatine?

[Faranaaz]

Right on the money sister! You are so right about this being such a South African thing and being so integrally linked to braais. :) It's certainly one of my favourite desserts ever and between this and your recipe for bread and butter pudding, you've certainly won over another fan. (Despite the fact that I've only just found your blog today!)

[Joey]

In the UK, you can use Cadbury Mint Crisp for the peppermint crisp, but as it isnt that pepperminty, use an Aero Mint or two. As for the biscuits Hobnobs are quite good, or coconut biccies.

[Bordeaux]

On X's demand my visiting sister brought a stack of mint crisp bars from SA on her recent visit. These, I were informed beforehand, would be used by me in making a mint crisp tart. Something I have never done before. So today he got online and searched for recipes (for me, of course) and guess who's popped up first! So I'm going to try it this week and will let you know how it went. A relationship is in the balance here! :)

[Audrey]

To boil condensed milk - first remove label and scratch off all the glue, otherwise it will be all over your pot. It is best to use a trivet. Lie can on its side,cover with water bring to the boil and simmer for 3 hours. Cool completely before opening. I have never heard of a can exploding!! I usually boil 3 cans at once.

[Karen Erasmus]

Hey - I'm in SA and love the pepermint crisp fridge tart - love it!

Sometimes I have been unable to find peppermint crisp bars here in SA and have substituted with mint crisp bars by Beacon or Cadburys (milk chocolate bar with crispy peppermint bits in) - i'm sure these are available worldwide. Open to correction here.

And as for the tennis biscuit problem - I actually prefer to use romany creams - but that solves nothing because you cant get those outside this country either. but they taste so good in this tart - especially the caramel flavour ones which are sometimes but not always available. Maybe there is a romany cream equivalent available in the rest of the world - its a chocolate coconut sandwich cookie with a hard chocolate cream filling. yummy!

As an aside - i feel sorry for people who dont get all these great SA products like those mentioned here as well as marie biscuits, milo, bovril (yum!), etc

[Tova]

In the US you won't be able to find Peppermint Crisp since the FDA won't allow it to be imported because it contains a dye that isn't approved in the US.

[Emma Fargher]

Hello I am a Sout Africain living in Canada. I am very sad that i can never find any peppermint Crisps in stores anywhere else but south Africa. Does anyone know where I could find some or order them. I love the name of your site cook sisters are very dear to me and it is such a treat to hear ( read) people taking the way my family does.( we have changed the way we talk because no one else understands us> Cheers.

[michelle rolleston]

great to come across your site. i love cooking and spoiling my kids with S.A. treats we are Kaapenaars and love local foods.
will try the pudding pepppermint this weekend.

[Guy]

Emma Fargher, where in Canada do you live? You can easily get SA products here.

Try www.memoriesofafrica.net

[Emma Fargher]

I live near Toronto, I've found Peppermint Crisps once, i look for them every where... old fashion sweet stores, Kensignton, Import stores ect but with no suscess.

[Karen Murphy]

Try doctoring this recipe, I use nice bisscuits, peppermint aero, and lightly whipped double cream, it works realy well.

Karen