York Peppermint Pattie: Snowflake Shape

York Peppermint Pattie is yet another classic candy that I was somewhat shocked to realize I'd managed not to review yet. You would think it would have snuck in somewhere among the 667-odd reviews, but no. Well, let's all thank Mint Week for finally giving me the perfect excuse to have one.

Out of all the mass-market candies out there, York Peppermint Patties are the ones that are actually the most "Christmasy" to me. In my house while growing up -- and oddly enough, in both of my parents' homes to this day -- you will still find the holiday mini-versions in the candy dishes. As a kid, Christmas was often the only time we would have them in the house. And I always loved them.

A York Peppermint Pattie, as the commercials have always told you, gives the chilling sensation of being on a frozen mountaintop -- although why anyone would ever want to be on a frozen mountaintop is beyond me. It's cold...there's no Internet...highly unlikely for any hot topless babes to be around. No, I'll just stay home on my couch with my DVR in a temperature-controlled environment, thank you very much. Anyway, in addition to being cooling, the Pattie has a thin layer of dark chocolate over a center of peppermint fondant.

Normal Peppermint Patties are round and come in single servings of 1.4 ounces. I got the holiday Snowflake version, even though it was smaller at 1.2 ounces (and cost more as well). I thought that the Snowflake itself might be nicely molded...and wouldn't that make for a pretty picture?



Well, had it been nicely molded it very well might have made for a nice picture. But as it was out of the package, it more resembled a flabby Patrick Starfish from Sponge Bob than the snowflake design I'd hoped for. (Like these -- I have never tried those candies, but that does represent what I thought the York might have tried to look like, given any effort.)

OK, it's not always about looks. Yeah, sometimes it's size that matters too -- oh wait, that's right -- not only did York make this version ugly, but they are smaller than the normal Peppermint Patties. York, you are making this hard for me...

All right, forget looks and size. All that really matters here is taste. And luckily for York, taste is the area where they really shine.



As you have probably guessed, a York Peppermint Pattie all about the peppermint. The inner fondant has the perfect texture. It's soft but kind of crumbly. The melt is smooth and fast. The flavor is like pure peppermint. It's not too sweet, there are no extra flavors getting in the way.

The dark chocolate outer shell is thin, and while you might guess by the pictures that it's too thin, somehow York has found the magic perfect balance. The dark chocolate adds just enough chocolaty goodness to complement the mint without distracting from it.

Just go get some. They are a classic for a reason. (Get the regular circular ones, as they are both larger and cheaper.)



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket