You can't go wrong with butter and sugar

So, you probably think I am going through another phase. This time with mint. But I'm not-- I promise. I am making some mints for a wedding; otherwise I might have waited a few more weeks to make these melt-in-your-mouth yummy treats that have become a Christmas tradition at our house.

Several years ago I decided to make these mints with my kids. I am always on the lookout for candy that doesn't require using a candy thermometer (since I generally find a way to mess up entire batches of candy when I try using a candy thermometer),  so these NO BAKE candies looked simple and easy enough to have preschoolers help with. And now we make them every year.

They are basically the little pillow mints that I remember eating out of candy dishes at weddings when I was little. When I was little, candy was candy and it all tasted good. But as an adult, I became more discriminating about my candy, and after I made these at home, I never bought them at the store again.

The absolute ONLY issue with these is that they need to air-dry for about 2 days, which requires patience and self-control. But if you sample a few each day "just to see if they're ready", that's ok. And that was always part of the fun when I made these with my preschoolers. We would each sample one to see if they were ready. And then  we'd sample a second. Sometimes it took up to four samples before we could determine that the mints needed one more day before we transferred them to their Christmasy storage tins. It became quite a game and a fun memory. I think that's part of why my kids still love these mints so much!

Pillow mints

1 stick salted butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar (plus about 1/4 c. for dusting)
2 T heavy cream
1 t. peppermint extract
food coloring, optional

In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Slowly beat in sugar, cream, and peppermint until smooth.

Lightly dust work surface with powdered sugar. Turn sugar mixture out onto work surface and knead for several minutes, until smooth. If using food coloring, divide  sugar mixture into thirds and knead 2 drops of coloring into each section that you want to color. Cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying out as you work with the other sections.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Again dust work surface with powdered sugar. Working with one section at a time, roll out about 1/4 cup of the mint mixture into a rope about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch pillow-shaped mints. Transfer to baking sheet, using careful fingers or a spatula. (The mints will be soft and will squash easily.) Repeat with remaining mixture.

Let tray of mints air dry at room temperature for 2 or 3 days, until firm enough to transfer to covered containers. These can be stored at room temperature (in covered containers) for 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Enjoy!