Peppermint Crisp Tart
Overview
Peppermint crisp tart, also known as peppermint tart, is a South African no-bake fridge tart. To make peppermint crisp tart, you layer Tennis biscuits with caramel condensed milk and whipped cream, with grated Peppermint Crisp chocolate stirred through the cream. It needs at least four to five hours in the fridge to set. Putting it together takes about fifteen minutes, and the fridge does the rest overnight. The whole thing rests on four ingredients, and two of them are brand names. Peppermint Crisp is a mint chocolate bar first made in South Africa by Wilson-Rowntree and now made by Nestlé South Africa. Tennis biscuits are coconut biscuits that go in whole, not crushed, and soften into the cream as the tart sets. That reliance on brands makes it awkward to make outside southern Africa, so here are the swaps. A peppermint Aero bar is the usual stand-in for Peppermint Crisp, and any plain coconut biscuit can take the place of Tennis. If you're cooking a South African spread, AFN's malva pudding makes a good warm partner to this cold one, and koeksisters are there too.
AFN Heritage Note
Peppermint crisp tart is a South African no-bake fridge tart, built on caramelised condensed milk, cream, Tennis coconut biscuits and grated Peppermint Crisp chocolate. It belongs to the country's tradition of refrigerator-set desserts.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Place a layer of whole Tennis biscuits in a dish. Use a smaller dish if you want more layers.
- 2
Spread the biscuits with one tin of caramel condensed milk, or as much as you need if building more layers.
- 3
Beat the cream until almost stiff. Do not overbeat it or it will turn to butter.
- 4
Fold in the grated Peppermint Crisp, holding back enough for the top.
- 5
Spread a thin layer of the cream mixture over the biscuits, then arrange another layer of biscuits on top. Repeat if your dish allows.
- 6
Mix the second tin of caramel condensed milk into the remaining cream mixture.
- 7
Spread this over the final layer of biscuits and sprinkle with the reserved Peppermint Crisp.
- 8
Refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours, or overnight.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Amarachi Irobi- Stop beating the cream at almost stiff. A few seconds too long and it splits into butter, which cannot be recovered.
- Give it the full setting time. Four hours is a minimum and overnight is better, since the biscuits need time to soften into the cream.
- Buy tinned caramel rather than boiling condensed milk yourself if you can. Boiling a sealed tin for three hours needs it kept fully submerged throughout.
- Grate the chocolate rather than chopping it, so it distributes through the cream instead of sinking in lumps.
- Outside South Africa, a peppermint Aero bar substitutes for the Peppermint Crisp and any plain coconut biscuit for the Tennis.
- Assemble it in the dish you will serve it in. It does not turn out and it does not travel well once set.
Questions cooks ask
What is peppermint crisp tart made of?
Four things: Tennis biscuits, caramel condensed milk, fresh cream and grated Peppermint Crisp chocolate. AFN's recipe uses two packets of biscuits, two tins of caramel, 500 ml of cream and two bars of Peppermint Crisp. The cream is whipped, the chocolate is folded in, and it's all layered with the biscuits.
Is peppermint crisp tart South African?
Yes. Peppermint Crisp itself is a South African chocolate bar, first made by Wilson-Rowntree and later by Nestlé South Africa. The caramel peppermint crisp tart built on it is a hugely popular South African fridge dessert.
How do you make a peppermint tart without Tennis biscuits or Peppermint Crisp?
Any plain coconut biscuit can stand in for Tennis, and Arnott's Nice, an Australian coconut biscuit, is another option where you can get it. For the chocolate, a peppermint Aero bar is the closest match. Neither swap is perfect, but both give you a tart South Africans will recognise.
Can I make peppermint crisp tart the day before?
Yes, and it's better that way. It needs at least four to five hours in the fridge, and overnight gives the biscuits time to soften fully into the cream. Build it in the dish you'll serve it from, because it won't turn out once set.
Can I make my own caramel condensed milk?
You can, by boiling an unopened tin of condensed milk for about three hours. The tin has to stay fully under water the whole time, so keep topping up the pot, because a tin that boils dry can burst. Ready-made caramel tins are the easier and safer option.
Why did my cream turn grainy?
It was beaten a little too long. Stop when it's almost stiff, because past that point it turns grainy and then splits into butter, and split cream can't be brought back. Fold the chocolate in gently afterwards rather than beating it in.
Reviews
4 reviews
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Managed to find real Peppermint Crisp at an import shop here in California, but Tennis biscuits were totally sold out so I used Goya coconut cookies instead. Worked out surprisingly well! La Lechera dulce de leche is a perfect match for Nestlé Caramel Treat. Just make sure you don't overbeat the cream when folding in the chocolate or it gets dense.
Taste was okay but watch the cream carefully when beating! I overbeat my 500ml fresh cream by literally ten seconds and the whole thing split into minty butter. Also 2 full tins of caramel condensed milk made it far too sickly sweet for us, 1 and a half tins is more than enough for two packets of Tennis biscuits.
Chale, we don't get this Peppermint Crisp chocolate easily here in Tamale oo. I boiled the tin of condensed milk for 3 full hours to get the caramel and used dark mint chocolate slab instead. Came out very nice, though next time I will use a bit less caramel so the mint cuts through the sweet cream better.
baie lekker! We had this after a proper braai yesterday. My ouma always said you must grate the Peppermint Crisp coarsely, don't make it too fine or you lose that nice crunchy texture between the caramel and Tennis biscuits. Perfect every time.