Description
Delight in these festive and easy-to-make Christmas Peppermint Patties, featuring a creamy butter and peppermint-flavored center coated with granulated sugar. These colorful red, green, and white candies are perfect for holiday parties and gifting, requiring no baking and just simple steps to prepare a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract (or any other extract you prefer)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (divided)
- Food coloring (preferably gel or paste; red and green)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Combine Butter and Syrup: In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and light corn syrup until well blended and smooth.
- Add Extract: Stir in your chosen peppermint or mint extract to infuse the mixture with a fresh, minty flavor.
- Incorporate Powdered Sugar: Add 2 cups of powdered sugar to the mixture and mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Mix More Sugar: Stir in an additional 1 cup of powdered sugar to start forming the dough.
- Knead Dough: Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until the powdered sugar is fully absorbed and the dough becomes smooth and pliable. Add more powdered sugar a little at a time if the dough is sticky.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the dough into three equal portions. Tint one portion with red gel food coloring, another with green gel food coloring, and leave the last portion white. If the dough becomes sticky during coloring, knead in more powdered sugar in ¼ cup increments.
- Shape Patties: Roll the dough into ¾-inch diameter balls. Then roll each ball in granulated sugar to coat evenly.
- Flatten and Texture: Gently flatten each sugared ball with a fork to create a patty shape, adding characteristic texture to the top.
- Let Set: Place the patties on a tray and let them stand uncovered at room temperature for 1 full day to firm up and dry slightly.
- Store Properly: Once set, store the peppermint patties in an airtight container at room temperature for freshness.
Notes
- If the dough is too sticky, gradually add more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time while kneading for best texture.
- Gel or paste food coloring is preferred for vibrant colors without affecting dough consistency.
- The patties can be prepared a day in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Feel free to experiment with different extracts like vanilla or almond for unique flavor variations.
- Letting the patties dry for a full day ensures they hold their shape and do not stick together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 patty
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 6.5g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 1.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
