February 11th is National Peppermint Patty Day

If you're looking for something to do today then I hope you like peppermint because it's National Peppermint Patty Day!

Pop one of these chocolate discs on your tongue today!

Let's get right into celebrating National Peppermint Patty Day!

Why is this a holiday?

Peppermint patties are so well liked and have been around for such a long time that they were bound to be celebrated in one way or another. Older versions of peppermint patties had been around for quite some time but when you think of a peppermint patty, what brand name comes to mind? That's right! It appears that York almost has the peppermint patty industry on lock down.

Henry C. Kessler is the man to thank for these patties, because he started producing them in York, Pennsylvania back in 1940 at a business he owned called the York Cone Company. But you could only get these in the East until Peter Paul bought his company and launched York Peppermint Patties nationally in 1975.

The company merged with Cadbury Schweppes in 1978, then the Hershey Foods Corporation took over the US operations in 1988 but these days your York Peppermint Pattie was probably made in Mexico. It doesn't matter who makes them; you're still getting your patties ;).

So why does York have a peppermint patty monopoly and what is a peppermint patty exactly? Well, the older versions of peppermint patties were kind of gummy, but York's were more crisp and that must be more appealing to the majority of tongues. These peppermint patties have a sugary, peppermint flavored center that is encased with a dark chocolate shell. They look pretty much like a thick, chocolate coin and have a nice blend of contrasting flavors.

But I'm sure most of you already knew that ;).

So how can you celebrate today?

Well you could easily go to the store and pick up a bag of peppermint patties and start munching on them all through the day. Don't be stingy though; share the peppermint goodness so that others can celebrate along with you.

You could also get creative and think of different ways to add these to desserts. You could add them to ice cream, mix them into a milkshake, drop a couple into some hot chocolate, put them on top of cupcakes and any other way you can think of using them. There are many different treats that could benefit from a hint of peppermint flavor. They would also make a great after dinner mint.

Or if you're good in the kitchen you can try to make your own patties. There are a variety of different recipes online to help get you started. You'll just need to practice a little patience as your patties cool. I know it can be difficult to wait ;).  But if you resist, put in a little work, and follow the recipe closely then I'm sure you'll have a huge batch of homemade peppermint patties that are just waiting to be eaten, and they'll look good too!

Regardless of how you decide to celebrate today, I hope it's a pepperminty day for you!