Description
These classic Christmas Mints are a delightful holiday treat featuring a creamy, peppermint-flavored dough that is colored red, green, and white for festive appeal. Soft, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth, these mints are perfect for sharing at holiday parties or gifting to loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons light/clear corn syrup (such as Karo)
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 4 1/4 – 5 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 6 drops green liquid food coloring
- 6 drops red liquid food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Tray: Line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment paper and place the granulated sugar in a small bowl; set aside for later use.
- Mix Cream Cheese Base: In a large mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer on low speed to beat the cream cheese, unsalted butter, corn syrup, and peppermint extract together for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Gradually add 4 1/4 cups of powdered sugar in 1/2-cup increments, mixing slowly on low speed. When the dough becomes too stiff for the mixer, switch to a spatula or wooden spoon to fully incorporate the sugar by hand.
- Divide Dough: On a parchment paper-covered surface dusted with 1/4 cup powdered sugar, turn out the dough and divide it evenly into three portions.
- Color the Dough: Create a shallow well in two of the dough portions. Add red food coloring to one and green food coloring to the other. Leave the third portion plain white. Knead each piece thoroughly to distribute color evenly. Add up to 1/4 cup additional powdered sugar as needed to reduce stickiness caused by the food coloring.
- Roll Dough into Ropes: Roll each colored dough portion into an 18-inch long rope roughly 1 inch in diameter.
- Slice and Shape: Cut each rope into 1/2-inch slices, then roll each slice between your palms to form small balls.
- Coat in Sugar: Toss 2-3 dough balls at a time in the bowl of granulated sugar to coat thoroughly. Place the coated balls on the prepared baking tray.
- Create Pattern: Using the tip of a fork, gently press down on each sugar-coated dough ball to flatten it into a disc, creating a decorative striped pattern on top.
- Set the Mints: Allow the mints to sit undisturbed at room temperature on the baking tray for up to 24 hours to set and dry before serving.
Notes
- Ensure cream cheese and butter are at room temperature for easier mixing and smoother dough.
- Adjust powdered sugar quantity as needed if the dough is too sticky or too dry after adding food coloring.
- Letting the mints dry completely is important for the texture and presentation.
- Store the finished mints in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh.
- If desired, you can experiment with other food coloring shades for personalized mints.
