Valentine's Cream Cheese Mints

Makes about 3 dozen mints

These old-fashioned candies were an everyday treat in farmhouses across the upper Midwest. Don't use fat-free cream cheese because the texture is not thick enough to allow the candies to hold their shape. They can be shaped by hand or with candy molds (check your local kitchenware store or see the Source Guide, in this book).

Note:
To make Valentine's Cream Cheese Mints, substitute red food coloring for the green food coloring. Shape the mints into hearts after coating with superfine sugar or press them into heart-shaped molds.

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon mint extract or 4 to 6 drops peppermint oil
6 drops green food coloring
1 cup superfine sugar for coating

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until softened. Slowly add 1-1/2 cups of the confectioners' sugar. Beat in the mint extract and food coloring until well blended. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup at a time until a soft dough is formed.

2. Turn onto a counter or board dusted with confectioners' sugar and knead the dough for 5 minutes. (Add more confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too soft and sticky.)

3. with your hands, roll tablespoonsful of the dough into balls, then roll each ball into superfine sugar. Flatten the balls slightly into patties.

4. The sugared mint balls can also be pressed into candy molds. The coating of superfine sugar will allow them to release easily from the molds. Adjust the amount of dough used for each mint according to the shape and size of the mold you choose.

5. Store the mints in layers, separated by wax paper, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Buy the Book!

The Ultimate Candy Book
More than 700 quick and easy,
soft and chewy, hard and crunchy
sweets and treats
By Bruce Weinstein
William Morrow, October 2000
Paperback, $15.00
ISBN: 0-688-17510-4
Recipe reprinted by permission.