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Peppermint crisp tert (South African mint-chocolate fridge tart)
No-bake layers of tea biscuits, caramel cream and grated mint chocolate
Few desserts say South African Sunday lunch, braai afternoon or church bring-and-share quite like this fridge tart, found on tables from Cape Town to Limpopo and at nearly every Christmas spread. Plain tea biscuits are layered with a thick caramel whipped into cream, then buried under grated mint chocolate with a crunchy centre. Overnight the biscuits soften into something close to sponge, the caramel cream turns silky and the mint gives a cool, crackly finish. Serve it cold, in squares, with strong coffee or rooibos. The tart is egg-free by nature: condensed milk, cooked down into caramel, gives body and binds the cream so it holds its shape when sliced, and chilling does the setting. Many shop biscuits are egg-free, but check the packet and buy eggless tea biscuits. Chef's tip: let the caramel cool until barely warm before it meets the cream; folding in hot caramel is the common mistake that melts the cream into a runny puddle.
- Total time
- 260 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the caramel
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 ⅜ oz light brown sugar
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk1 tin
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For the layers
- 2 cups whipping creamwell chilled
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 9 oz eggless tea biscuitsplain rectangular or round tea biscuits; check the label for egg
- 5 ½ oz mint chocolate bars with a crunchy centrechilled, then grated
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract (optional)for a stronger mint flavour
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter and 1 ⅜ oz light brown sugar in a heavy saucepan over a medium-low heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles, about 3 minutes.
3 minStep 2: Pour in 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and add ¼ tsp fine salt. Stir constantly with a heatproof spatula over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, scraping the base, until the caramel turns a deep golden toffee colour, thickens like fudge sauce and pulls away from the base when you drag the spatula.
15 minStep 3: Scrape the caramel into a bowl and leave it to cool for 30-40 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is barely warm to the touch.
35 minStep 4: Whip 2 cups whipping cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp peppermint extract (if using) to soft peaks that just hold their shape. Stop there; overwhipped cream turns grainy once the caramel goes in.
Step 5: Beat the cooled caramel briefly until smooth and loose, then fold in a third of the whipped cream to slacken it. Fold in the rest of the cream in two batches until evenly beige with no streaks.
Step 6: Line the base of a 20 x 25 cm dish with half of 4 ½ oz eggless tea biscuits, breaking a few to fill the gaps.
Step 7: Spread half of the caramel cream over the biscuits and scatter over a third of 1 ¾ oz mint chocolate bars with a crunchy centre.
Step 8: Add a second layer of 4 ½ oz eggless tea biscuits, pressing them gently into the cream, then spread over the remaining caramel cream.
Step 9: Cover the top thickly with the remaining 3 ½ oz mint chocolate bars with a crunchy centre. Cover the dish and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until the biscuits are soft right through when tested with a knife.
240 minStep 10: Cut into squares with a knife dipped in hot water and serve cold. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does peppermint crisp tert (South African mint-chocolate fridge tart) take?
- About 260 minutes in total: 240 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of light brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tsp honey or golden syrup per 100g.
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