Peppermint Crisps

Peppermint Crisps. Dark mint chocolate with fine sugar crystals that crunch.

Peppermint Crisps are flat dark chocolate bars from Summerdown, made with peppermint oil from Hampshire and filled with sugar crystals. No biscuits, no puffed rice, no fondant-filled chocolate.

Peppermint Crisps are a mint chocolate from the English farm Summerdown, with tiny sugar crystals incorporated into the dark chocolate. Imagine an autumn evening, the dishes have been cleared away, and only the coffee cups remain. Someone opens the flat turquoise box and breaks off a piece. You hear it before you taste it. Only then comes the coolness of the mint, long and slow.

Cocoa, mint and a fine crunch

The Crisps first taste of dark cocoa, then cool peppermint, with fine sugar crystals crunching between the teeth in between. The chocolate contains at least 55 percent cocoa. This makes it bitter enough to balance the sweetness of the crystals.

The crystals are fine, barely larger than ordinary granulated sugar. They do not add their own flavour, but rather texture. This gives every bite a soft crunch that the smooth chocolate otherwise lacks. The mint feels fresher because the palate is constantly stimulated by new sensations.

Compared to the smooth Mint Thins from the same farm, the aroma is the same, but the effect is different. The Thins melt quietly, while the Crisps linger longer in the mouth. Anyone expecting a soft, creamy mint chocolate will find the Crisps too grainy and bitter. For that, there are the Creams with a fondant centre.

The mint is what lingers longest. The cocoa fades earlier, while the coolness lasts for a while longer. Those who slowly suck on the pieces instead of chewing will feel the crystals as a fine grain on the tongue until the very end.

With coffee, over dessert and on the guest plate

The Crisps are best enjoyed after a meal, alongside a strong filter coffee or an espresso without sugar. One or two pieces per person are enough. The roasted bitterness of the coffee and the coolness of the mint alternate pleasantly.

For a quick dessert, roughly chop two bars and sprinkle them over chocolate mousse or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crystals remain hard on a cold surface and give the soft dessert some bite. They also work well placed on a brownie just before serving.

The Crisps pair better with spirits than with wine. A single malt with little smoke or an aged rum complements the cocoa, while the mint provides a fresh contrast. Red wine, on the other hand, quickly takes on a metallic taste when combined with peppermint.

The Crisps are not suitable for hot drinks. In hot milk, the crystals dissolve, and the crunch that makes them special is gone. Those who prefer mint without the crunch should choose the smooth Mint Thins.

Our tip: Store the opened box in a cool, dry place at 16 to 18 degrees Celsius. Warm rooms make the chocolate soft, which causes the crystals to lose their crunch. Spices stored in the same cupboard can also quickly impart their aroma to the chocolate.

Why sugar stays hard in chocolate

Sugar dissolves in water but not in fat, and that is exactly what creates this crunch. Chocolate is made largely of cocoa butter and contains very little water. This allows the crystals to remain firm for months, provided the bar is stored in a dry place.

Ordinary sugar in chocolate, by contrast, is ground very finely until the tongue can no longer detect it. Noticeable crystals like those in the Crisps are therefore usually added to the chocolate after conching, so that they remain intact. Conching is the process of stirring the warm chocolate mixture for a long time, making it smooth and rounded.

The mint used is grown on the Colman family farm near Basingstoke in Hampshire. The Black Mitcham variety is considered a classic English selection of peppermint, a natural cross between water mint and green mint. It produces a lot of menthol but has a rounder flavour than many newer varieties. It is distilled directly on the farm, and the oil is added to the chocolate without going through an flavouring manufacturer.

The box bears the seal of the Great Taste Awards. At this British fine food competition, judges taste the products blindly, without knowing the brand or packaging. For a small farm, this is a meaningful endorsement.

The liveliest box from Hampshire

What makes Peppermint Crisps stand out among Summerdown’s mint chocolates is their texture. Thins, Creams and Fondants are all about melting, while Crisps are all about bite. The chocolate is vegan and gluten-free, making it a simple choice for mixed company.

During Advent, a piece sits nicely alongside biscuits and fruitcake, as the mint lightens the heavy spices. In the office, the box is a thoughtful gift that does not look like a token present.

The flat box is a perfect gift that fits into any bag and will surprise hosts who have only ever known soft mint chocolate. Those who want to try all the varieties side by side will find them in the Ultimate Mint Collection. Individually wrapped mint pralines for the saucer are available as Peppermint Fondants.

A mint chocolate you hear before you taste, and that leaves no one feeling weighed down after a meal.