Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

Essential oil

Crazy Simple Peppermint Bark {Using Peppermint Essential Oil!}

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Let’s just say you’re looking for something sweet to make for a holiday party or to give as a gift this season, but maybe you’re facing a few challenges. Maybe you’re terrible at following a recipe. Maybe looking on Pinterest for something great to make stresses you out or makes you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you’re strapped for cash. Maybe you realized 5 minutes ago that you’re supposed to bring something to an event, and that event is in half an hour and it takes you 15 minutes to get there. I get it. I’ve been there.

Fret not, my friends. I have a simple, quick, inexpensive and yummy solution for you! You can thank me later. 😉

Easy Peppermint Bark Recipe using Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint bark is the perfect festive snack to satisfy a sweet tooth. It has just 3 ingredients, and it’s actually pretty fun to make! Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients:

  • 1 package white almond bark
  • a few peppermints of candy canes – crushed
  • 5-7 drops peppermint essential oil

Directions:

  1. Melt almond bark over the stove or in a crock pot, stirring frequently to avoid any scorching
  2. Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper
  3. Pour completely melted almond bark onto the cookie sheet
  4. Sprinkle crushed peppermint on top quickly before the chocolate dries
  5. Allow to cool. You can speed this up by placing it in the freezer for a few minutes
  6. Once it’s cooled, break the peppermint bark into bite size pieces

That’s it, y’all! It’s insanely easy to make, and it makes for a really sweet gift to give during the holidays. Just wrap it up in a holiday candy tin (You can frequently find them in a 3 pack for around $3), put a bow on it and you’re done!

If you would like to learn more about essential oils, I recommend checking out this post that my sister wrote. You can find it here: Getting Into Essential Oils as a Skeptic. It’s packed full of great into and tips on how to get started.

 

Copycat Peppermint Patties

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I’ve definitely been on a peppermint kick here lately. I’ve been having so much fun buying stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts for my 6 month old this week, and it’s just really put me in the holiday spirit! While I’m not ready to start decorating my house yet (that absolutely comes AFTER Thanksgiving in this house), smelling and using peppermint essential oil certainly makes me want to!

I recently posted a delicious recipe for double mint brownies using peppermint essential oil. I mentioned how it would be a great gift to package up and give to family members or friends for the holidays. I then started brainstorming some other ways that I could use peppermint oil in the kitchen. I wanted to think of some yummy treats that would also be great to share with others as a gift. Then I thought of these:

Say hello to my little friends!

Copycat Peppermint Patty Recipe using Peppermint Essential Oil

I was so excited to try my hand at making these. They’re pretty darn close to real peppermint patties as far as taste goes. They’re just missing that perfectly pressed/processed round shape that the real ones have. But who needs that anyway, right?! These are also a little bit healthier that the real deal, too. Here’s what you’ll need to make these:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup refined coconut oil (It doesn’t have a coconutty taste)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 or 4 tbs corn syrup (Honey also works great!)
  • 6-7 drops peppermint essential oil (You can also use 1 tsp peppermint extract instead of EO)
  • Chocolate almond bark or baking chips, melted

Copycat Peppermint Patty Recipe using Peppermint Essential Oil

Directions:

  1. Mix coconut oil, peppermint oil, corn syrup and vanilla together in a mixing bowl. The coconut oil will start to soften as you mix. (Tip: Before mixing, slightly melt the coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds to ensure that you can stir it easily. Do not melt so much as to make it completely liquid.)
  2. Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow it to harden a bit.
  3. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
  4. Once the filling has hardened in freezer, take it out and dip out spoonfuls of the filling onto the wax paper. If you’d like, press them into a flatter shape. Be careful though, because the coconut oil will melt very quickly if you use your hands to press them.
  5. Place back into the freezer for another 10 or so minutes.
  6. Melt chocolate
  7. Remove patties from freezer. Using a spoon, pour chocolate over each patty. *Note: You may find that the chocolate doesn’t stick right away because the coconut oil melts quickly. That’s OK. You’re going to repeat this process a second time, and it will stick much better the second time.
  8. Place back in freezer for another 10 minutes. Remove and pour chocolate over each patty once more. If you’d like, you can repeat the process a third time to cover the bottom with chocolate
  9. Place in freezer or refrigerator for a final time to allow to harden. Once you’ve done this, you’re all done! Enjoy!

While these can sit out, they are best stored in the refrigerator. Coconut oil can quickly melt if it is ever at a temperature slightly hotter than room temp.

If you’re making these to give as a little DIY gift, you can put them in a cute little Christmas tin or put in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon like I did! These are so yummy and just melt in your mouth. Anyone who loves chocolate and mint together would love these for sure!

If you would like to learn more about essential oils, I recommend checking out this post that my sister wrote. You can find it here: Getting Into Essential Oils as a Skeptic. It’s packed full of great into and tips on how to get started.

Double Mint Brownies using Peppermint Essential Oil

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Christmas is right around the corner, y’all! It’ll seriously be here before we know it. It always has a way of sneaking up on me! I’ve already been pulling out my Christmas gift list (and checking it twice) and making notes here and there of what I’d like to give my friends and family as gifts this year on the big day. It’s always fun to make sweets and package them up and give to others. It’s also fun to receive sweet treats (just in case you needed an idea of what to get me!) 😉

One of the first things I associate with the holidays is food – particularly sweet treats. I’ve always loved to be in the kitchen, but I especially love to be in the kitchen during this time of year. Once Thanksgiving has come and gone, I start putting away the pumpkin and break out the peppermint! I’ve always loved chocolate and peppermint together. My husband is not a fan, but that doesn’t stop me from digging in! 😉

One chocolatey and pepperminty dish that’s so easy to make is Double Mint Brownies. They’re so delicious, and they are perfect to wrap up to give as a little gift to someone on your Christmas list! I think instead of baking Santa cookies this year, we might be leaving him and his reindeer some of these beauties. Who knows, maybe he’ll leave us a little something extra special!

Double Mint Brownie Recipe using Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil

Double Mint Brownie Recipe using Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil

I have been using essential oils for over a year now. I’m always amazed at how many different uses each oil has! This time of year, I really love to use peppermint essential oil when baking. In this recipe, I use it in place of mint extract.

Note: If you would like to learn more about essential oils, my sister has a really informative post that may help you out! You can find it here.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 sticks butter, melted
  • candy cane or peppermints
  • semisweet morsels – optional
  • 5-6 drops peppermint essential oil. (*Note- If you don’t have or don’t want to use an essential oil, you can use 1 tsp mint extract. BE SURE to use the proper amount of essential oil if you decide to use it. It does not measure the same as using mint extract.)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
  3. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and pour into greased 9X13 pan
  5. Crush candy cane/peppermints in a ziploc bag using a meat mallet  or hammer
  6. Sprinkle a few crushed mints and a handful of semisweet morsels on top of batter
  7. Bake for 22-25 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool. If desired, sprinkle additional crushed mints on top.
  9. Enjoy!

Just FYI – If you’re in a time/ingredient crunch, you can also accomplish this pepperminty awesomeness by buying a box of brownie mix and just adding the peppermint to it. I won’t judge!  Don’t you ever let anybody tell you that store bought isn’t fine. 🙂

To give these brownies as a gift, put them in a cute little holiday tin and put a bow on top! I actually stacked them and placed them in a clear plastic cup. I covered the cup with cellophane, tied it together with ribbon, and added a name tag. Easy as pie, y’all!

Have you ever cooked using essential oils before? Do you love chocolate + mint like I do? If you try this recipe for peppermint brownies using peppermint essential oil, I’d love to hear how it turned out!