Peppermint creams

250g Icing sugar, and some extra
Free-range egg white
Peppermint essence
A few drops of cooking oil
Green food coloring (optional)

Sift 2/3 of the sugar into a mixing bowl.
Lightly whisk the egg white. It should be well mixed and lightly frothy, but not really moussey.
Pour the egg white and a few drops of peppermint essence into the sugar, and start mixing with a fork.
As it begins to stiffen, scrape it off the fork, and start using your hands to work it into a paste. It will probably be very sticky, and you’ll have to keep adding a shake or two of icing sugar. Taste it and add more peppermint if necessary. Keep kneading the mixture and adding sifted icing sugar until you have a smooth paste you can mould like play dough. Keep your hands dusted with sugar at all times.
Prepare a sheet of greasproof paper by rubbing it lightly all over with a few drops of cooking oil.
You can shape in various ways, either roll with a rolling pin on a sugar dusted surface, and then cut up into shapes, or use cookie cutters, or just roll little balls and then flatten them.
Put the finished peppermint creams onto the lightly oiled sheet of paper, and leave them uncovered in the kitchen to dry out for a few hours. Keep them in a Tupperware box.

This was from River Cottage Family Cookbook. I skipped the food coloring, because I didn’t see any need for it, and I used the last method of shaping (roll into a ball then squish).

This was fun. You forget that icing sugar can become a dough with the right amount of liquid. It’s powdery, then it’s sticky, and sticky, and sticky, then suddenly, you have dough.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from these, they are a popular British candy, but we don’t have it in the states. Turns out, Peppermint creams, are just like York Peppermint Patties, but without the chocolate coating. I’m going to make another batch, and coat them in chocolate.

These are super unbelievably easy, and really tasty too. I recommend trying them, if you feel like making any candy.