Homade Mints

Sugar Work By mik_mcd Updated 8 Jun 2007 , 3:36pm by bobwonderbuns

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mik_mcd Posted 30 May 2007 , 2:45pm
post #1 of 6

Where I grew up in Paris, TN there was a little candy shop, Sally Lane's Candy Farm, that made the greatest mints. They just called them pink and green mints. They were a creamy mint similar to a wedding mint. They made them in large shallow pans and cut them into rectangles. They didn't require refridgeration. I've seen recipe's that use cream cheese, but they have to be refridgerated so that couldn't be the same thing. I talked to a guy at another candy shop that had them and all he would tell me was that they were mostly sugar and milk solids. First of all what are milk solids? Does anyone know how to make this type of mint?

5 replies
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sweetjane Posted 30 May 2007 , 4:32pm
post #2 of 6

There's a recipe in the Wilton Book of Candy which is an old book, but the mints are old-fashioned in pastels or pure white and almost have a shiny exterior and creamy inside. They are disc shaped and kind of flat, but oh so good.

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JanH Posted 30 May 2007 , 5:25pm
post #3 of 6

Some of the recipes for cream cheese mints advise refrigeration, while others don't...

Cream Cheese Mints:
(With recipes.)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-2394721-.html

Testing to Determine if Refrigeration is Required:
(From Sarah Phillips of baking911.com.)

http://tinyurl.com/2ydx9b

HTH

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birdgirl Posted 1 Jun 2007 , 7:35pm
post #4 of 6

Somewhere I have a recipe that does not have cream cheese in them, but they have butter. It is butter, sugar mint flavor and corn syrup? They are boiled poured and cut and pastel when cooled.

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birdgirl Posted 1 Jun 2007 , 7:48pm
post #5 of 6

This one is the one I have but you have to bee 100% sure you have a candy thermometer that works:
INGREDIENTS
3 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon butter
3 drops peppermint oil
food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place sugar and 3 tablespoons butter into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour the boiling water over, and stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. It will boil up in the pot as if it is going to boil over, but it will settle down. Use some of the remaining butter to butter a marble slab.
When the sugar mixture reaches the soft crack stage of 270 to 280 degrees F (132 to 140 degrees C), remove from the heat immediately. Pour onto the buttered marble slab. Add peppermint oil and food coloring if desired. Butter your hands, and start pulling up pieces of the sugar blob. Keep stretching so that it will not set up. Continue to stretch until it has lost it's shine and is stringier.
Pull the candy out into one long string, and cut into 1 inch segments using scissors. Store candies in an airtight tin.
Note

If it turns back into sugar while being pulled, put it back in the pot with another cup of boiling water and start again at step 2.




This one I found online, but don't know if it is good--it looks easy.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon butter
3 drops peppermint oil
food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Place sugar and 3 tablespoons butter into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour the boiling water over, and stir to dissolve. Allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. It will boil up in the pot as if it is going to boil over, but it will settle down. Use some of the remaining butter to butter a marble slab.
When the sugar mixture reaches the soft crack stage of 270 to 280 degrees F (132 to 140 degrees C), remove from the heat immediately. Pour onto the buttered marble slab. Add peppermint oil and food coloring if desired. Butter your hands, and start pulling up pieces of the sugar blob. Keep stretching so that it will not set up. Continue to stretch until it has lost it's shine and is stringier.
Pull the candy out into one long string, and cut into 1 inch segments using scissors. Store candies in an airtight tin.
Note

If it turns back into sugar while being pulled, put it back in the pot with another cup of boiling water and start again at step 2.

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bobwonderbuns Posted 8 Jun 2007 , 3:36pm
post #6 of 6

There are a whole bunch of "nostalgic" old fashioned candy books being printed these days (thanks to the Baby Boomer generation becoming more and more nostalgic) and many of them have great recipes that are along the lines of what you are looking for. Some of those books are:

"Hazel's Candies, copper kettle trade secrets" by Virginia Sager Holen
"Heaven Revisited, Truggles and More" by Bev Brinkley
"Ideals candy Cookbook" by Mildred Brand
"Candymaking" by Ruth Kendrick and Pauline Atkinson
"Who wants Candy" by Jane Sharrock

These books will at least give you a starting point. Also check the older Wilton yearbooks -- Wilton changes their recipes from year to year. Hope that helps some!!! icon_biggrin.gif

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