The Ideal Holiday Dessert with truwhip...Featuring Creamy Peppermint Bark Puff Pastry Tarts

For me, the entire month of December is pretty much all about peppermint! I especially love peppermint bark, so I created a peppermint bark-inspired dessert that's simple to make, super yummy, and has tons of eye appeal. My festive Creamy Peppermint Bark Puff Pastry Tarts fit the bill -- they're tailor made for the holidays! I used frozen puff pastry shells, and the filling is made with truwhip whipped topping. Unlike the leading frozen whipped topping, truwhip is made with 100% natural ingredients and no hard-to-pronounce preservatives or chemicals! It contains no high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils, and it's also gluten free and certified non-GMO. If that's not impressive enough, it's creamy and tastes great -- making it an ideal recipe ingredient or dessert topping. 

My Peppermint Bark Puff Pastry Tarts feature a flaky puff pastry shell with a peppermint bark rim. The tarts are filled with a pretty pink white chocolate-peppermint mousse and a dollop of snow-white truwhip. They're also perfectly portioned for a perfect Christmas Day dessert after a large celebration meal. No one has to know how simple these tarts are to whip up -- you can even dip the tart shells up to 24 hours before serving to save time on your holiday meal prep!

Creamy Peppermint Bark Puff Pastry Tarts

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Ingredients (makes 6 tarts):

• 1 box of six frozen puff pastry shells
• 2 tbs. granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed peppermint [NOTE: I purchased a bag of crushed peppermint in the baking department of my local grocery store]

For the peppermint mousse:

• 1 tub truwhip topping, thawed (reserve 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 tbs. half and half
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• 3 drops red food coloring 

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and place the frozen puff pastry shells on top. Sprinkle evenly with the granulated sugar. Bake until puffed and golden -- approximately 20 minutes. To ensure even browning, rotate the pan halfway through the baking time. Cool cooked tart shells for 5 minutes. Use a fork to remove the tops of the shells and carefully remove the soft dough inside, leaving a shell.

Step 2: Place the semisweet chips in a small bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, until melted -- stopping to give a stir after 1 minute. Place the crushed peppermint on a small plate. Dip the top of each tart shell into the melted chocolate and let excess drip off. Immediately press the shells into the peppermint pieces. To quickly set the chocolate, refrigerate the shells for approximately 15 minutes.

Step 3: Add the white chocolate chips and half-and-half to a bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes, until melted -- stopping to give a stir after 1 minute. Add the peppermint extract, red fool color, and truwhip to the melted white chocolate. Whisk to evenly combine the ingredients. Pour the mousse back into the truwhip container and chill for at least 3 hours. 

Step 4: Spoon the chilled peppermint mousse into a large ziptop bag. Snip off the corner and pipe the mousse into each tart shell. Spoon the reserved 3/4 cup of truwhip into a small ziptop bag. Snip off the corner and pipe a small dollop on top of each tart.

These tarts are fun to eat...and fun to look at! The tart shell is flaky and crispy, and the peppermint bark rim provides flavor and textural contrast. The pink-tinted peppermint mousse is creamy, with a subtle peppermint flavor. Finally, the dollop of truwhip on top looks like a winter snowcap. Add it all up, and you've got the perfect holiday dessert for your Christmas festivities! To locate delicious, all-natural truwhip near you, visit their handy online Store Locator. 

Disclosure: I was provided samples of truwhip to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

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