Peppermint Creams

Summerdown Peppermint Creams with a soft fondant center

Summerdown Peppermint Creams are after-dinner mints from Hampshire, featuring a soft fondant center beneath dark chocolate. Peppermint oil from their own fields infuses both layers, making every cream cool, creamy, and surprisingly light.

Peppermint Creams are the filled after-dinner mints from the Summerdown mint farm in Hampshire. Each 200-gram box of English mint cream chocolates contains round discs with a soft fondant center enrobed in dark chocolate, flavored with distilled Black Mitcham peppermint oil from their own fields.

A crisp exterior, a flowing center

The dark shell breaks with a slight resistance, then the center yields, soft and cool like cream from the refrigerator. The fondant and chocolate melt at the same pace, neither one left behind.

The center tastes bright and sweet, the shell tart and dark, and the peppermint unites both levels into a long, cool finish. Black Mitcham contributes its typical warmth—a mint without any sharp bite, reminiscent more of fresh leaves than hard candies.

Served chilled, the contrast becomes even more distinct, with the cold center set against the melting shell. A little trick for summer evenings when you want a light, yet sophisticated dessert.

The English classic after a meal

After-dinner mints are as much a part of dinner in England as a speech at a wedding, served with coffee once the plates have been cleared. The mint refreshes the palate, the fondant replaces dessert, and the evening concludes on a quiet note.

One cream per guest next to an espresso cup turns a dinner with friends into a special occasion. It pairs perfectly with a quick espresso or a glass of iced water, which extends the cooling effect even further. The dark box also has a permanent place in the English Christmas menu.

Those who prefer to end the evening pure and without filling should try the ultra-thin Peppermint Thins from the same producer. For mixed groups, the Ultimate Mint Collection covers all preferences.

Why the center softens inside the shell

The fondant is processed firmly so that it can be coated with chocolate, only becoming creamy afterward. This is made possible by invertase, a natural enzyme included in the recipe that works slowly and steadily.

In the weeks following production, the enzyme breaks down some of the sugar, softening the center from within. The confectionery art behind this is over a hundred years old and continues to be the secret behind every good filled chocolate, from cherry cordials to peppermint creams.

At Summerdown, this old craft meets the oil from their own mint fields, which infuses both the center and the shell. This makes the cream taste like a unified whole, never like two separate parts.

The box for guests at a long table

Unopened, the box keeps for many months, ready for when guests arrive or the menu needs a final flourish. More dark chocolate is available right next door, and you can find the entire range from the farm in the Summerdown selection.