aka Dark Chocolate Peppermint Chex Mix
by Jaelyn Penner
One more recipe for all of you mint-o-holics out there! OK, I went outside of the “natural, healthy” realm for this treat. In reality, this recipe has no redeeming nutritional value. But it’s good! And, since most of us indulge freely over the Christmas break (which is ok every once in a while!), this becomes, through the magic of Christmas, the perfect Christmas morning snack! I mean, cereal for breakfast– mint for the morning breath – chocolate for the energy and Christmas cheer – enjoy with a strong coffee for the perfect 6am “mommy-we-just-can’t-wait-to-unwrap-presents” instant perk-up!
You won’t need a ton of this stuff. It’s heavy on the chocolate and really more of a candy than a “mix.” But it’s super easy to make and totally worth it for the novelty and decadence.
Ingredients:
5 cups Corn Chex (you can use Rice Chex, but they aren’t as uniformly shaped so won’t look quite as nice)
¾ cup Nestle dark chocolate and mint chips (I believe you can only find these during the holidays– can substitute with same amount of Andes chips, which are available year-round)
¾ cup Nestle semi-sweet chips
1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
Crushed candy cane or other peppermint candy for garnish
How-to:
1. Put Chex in a large mixing bowl. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. In glass measuring cup, heat the chocolate in the microwave on High for 1 ½ minutes. Stir thoroughly. Heat for 1 minute intervals, stirring between, until smooth when stirred.
3. Add peppermint extract to the melted chocolate, stir well.
4. Pour chocolate over Chex and stir to coat, being careful not to break the Chex while stirring.
5. Pour onto baking sheet in single layer, again, be careful not to break the Chex. Top with crushed peppermint candy while still warm.
6. Cool until hard (7 minutes in fridge or 20-30 minutes at room temperature).
7. Break candy with your hands into desired size chunks, place in gorgeous container, and enjoy!
