Description
Festive Christmas Peppermints dance with holiday cheer, blending sweet nostalgia and delightful peppermint flavors. Crisp candy treats will bring joyful memories and spark winter celebration spirits for family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups (500 grams) powdered sugar
- 4 ounces (115 grams) cream cheese, softened
Flavoring:
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Decoration and Coating:
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the creamy base by whipping softened cream cheese until silky and uniform in a spacious mixing vessel.
- Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, stirring consistently until a malleable, cohesive dough emerges with a smooth texture.
- Enhance the mixture with peppermint extract, blending thoroughly to distribute the refreshing flavor throughout the dough.
- Partition the dough into three identical segments, ensuring equal distribution for consistent coloration.
- Designate one portion as the pristine white segment, while transforming the remaining two using vibrant red and verdant green food colorings.
- Thoroughly knead each colored segment, working the pigment meticulously to achieve a uniform, saturated hue without streaking.
- Lightly dust your workspace with powdered sugar to prevent adhesion and potential texture disruption.
- Craft diminutive spheres approximately half an inch in diameter from each colored dough portion, maintaining consistent sizing.
- Gently flatten each sphere using fork tines, creating a classic, traditional peppermint impression with delicate ridges.
- Enrobe each compressed candy in granulated sugar, ensuring complete and even coverage for a sparkling, crystalline exterior.
- Arrange the sugared confections on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing natural air drying for two to three hours until they achieve a firm, stable consistency.
- Preserve the completed peppermints in a sealed container, maintaining optimal freshness at room temperature for one week or refrigerated for up to two weeks.
Notes
- Check cream cheese temperature by letting it sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before mixing, ensuring smooth and lump-free dough.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors without altering dough consistency, creating festive Christmas peppermints.
- Prevent sticky dough by chilling mixture for 15-20 minutes before shaping, making rolling and handling easier.
- Customize flavors by substituting peppermint extract with vanilla, almond, or orange extract for unique holiday treats that suit different taste preferences.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-3 hours
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 30
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg