Description
These Soft Christmas Peppermints, also known as Old-Fashioned Butter Mints, are a festive, melt-in-your-mouth treat perfect for holiday celebrations. Made from a simple blend of butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint, with a touch of red gel food coloring for a classic candy cane look, these soft mints offer a smooth, creamy texture and refreshing peppermint flavor that can be shaped into fun twists or bite-sized pieces for gifting or party platters.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- Red gel food coloring
Instructions
- Beat the Butter: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until it becomes fluffy. This creates a light base for your mints.
- Add the Rest: Slowly mix in the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract to the butter. Continue beating until the dough becomes firm and smooth, forming a pliable consistency that’s easy to work with.
- Divide and Color: Split the dough into two portions. Leave approximately three-quarters of the dough white and add red gel food coloring to the remaining one-quarter, mixing thoroughly to evenly distribute the color.
- Roll and Twist: Roll small portions of each colored dough into thin ropes. Twist the red and white ropes together to create a candy cane striped effect. Pinch off small sections from the twisted ropes to form individual mints.
- Dry and Set: Place the mints on a tray and let them air dry for 1 to 2 hours to start firming up. Then, cut the formed pieces into bite-sized mints if you haven’t already. Allow them to dry completely for 24 hours before serving to ensure they set properly and gain their characteristic soft, creamy texture.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of peppermint extract to taste for a stronger or milder peppermint flavor.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant coloring that doesn’t affect the texture of the dough.
- Ensure butter is softened, not melted, to achieve the right consistency.
- Allow full drying time for best texture and longer shelf life.
- Store mints in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them soft and fresh.
