Tess" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> Okay, I've been dreading this for years, because I've never had any
> success
> finding a recipe. This year I have to make some, and I hope that somebody
> recognises what I'm looking for.
>
> When I was a little girl, my mother was friends with a neighbour lady.
> Every
> Christmas mother would give her a bottle of wine, and the lady would give
> us
> a box of the best homemade mints I've ever had in my life.
>
> They were about as big as a quarter, and she made them in pastel colours,
> pink and green and yellow. She must have used a mould, and the green ones
> were shaped like leaves, and the yellow and pink ones were rosettes. The
> were soft and creamy, and had been sprinkled with sparkly sugar.
>
> I'd love to make some for my folks, ( and us, too! ), but I've never known
> what they were called. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm also no
> whiz
> at candy, but I don't think these are going to be all that hard. ( so to
> speak ).
>
> Help? ( Mrs. Armstrong, are you out there? )
>
> Thanks much!


I make these every Christmas and they turn out great every time:

Creamy Mints

1 1 pound box (4 cups) confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 TBS. boiling water (may need a little more)
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil
Paste food coloring
Granulated sugar
Rubber candy molds of choice

Combine powdered sugar, butter, boiling water-mix well using your hands until
consistancy of pie dough. If the mixture is too sticky mix in a little more
powdered sugar. Stir in the coloring to desired shade. Add the peppermint oil
last and mix in well using your hands.
Chill about 30 minutes. Pour some granulated sugar onto a flat plate. Roll
pieces of the candy mixture into small balls, sprinkle your candy molds with
granulated sugar-roll the candy balls in the granulated sugar then press into
the molds-sprinkle the back of the candy while it is in the mold with
granulated sugar. Release the candy from the mold onto wax or parchment paper.
Allow uncovered candy forms to air dry and harden about 8 hours. They may be
frozen at this point just put wax paper between the layers and wrap well to
prevent any freezer ordors from transferring to the candy. Makes about 80
pieces. These will have a sparkle to them from the sugar.
If you would like to make chocolate candies, just add 2 TBS. cocoa and 1 tsp.
vanilla instead of the peppermint oil and proceed with the recipe. Jan