Step 1Grease and line a 20cm square tin and with baking parchment. Mix sugar, glucose and 250ml water in a large pan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Turn up heat to medium and bubble, swirling the pan occasionally rather than stirring.
Step 2As soon as the mixture reaches 120°C on a sugar thermometer, remove pan from heat. Add peppermint extract and a pinch of salt and stir well with a wooden spoon for about 3min, this will give the mint cake its signature white colour. The mixture should be gloopy and cloudy. Carefully scrape into the lined tin and leave to set at room temperature, about 30min.
Step 3Once set, line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barley simmering water. Turn mint cake out on to a board and slice into 12 rectangles. Dip 1/2 of each rectangle lengthways into the melted chocolate and place on the lined tray. Sprinkle the crushed candy cane, if using, over the chocolate and leave to set before serving.
TO STORE
Once set, keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature (chill if warm), layers separated with baking parchment, for up to 2 weeks.
Per serving:
Calories: 278
Protein: 1g
Total fat: 4g
Saturates: 2g
Carbs: 61g
Total sugars: 59g
Fibre: 0g
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Alice Shields is the Former Senior Cookery Writer for Good Housekeeping. A trained pastry chef, you’ll find her food styling on photo shoots, developing delicious recipes and writing about all things food. She loves to bake and her favourite pudding will always be a chocolate fondant. Originally hailing from Lancashire, she finally achieved her goal of getting a butter pie recipe into the magazine.
