Proper Peppermint Creams

When the sun doesn't come out in summer I get a strong urge to bake. I also get a strong urge to eat completely scrumptious things, but that's a year round thing.


My daughter and I made these peppermint creams at the weekend. Technically this isn't baking but they are most definitely scrumptious. These little lovelies made the perfect accompaniment to a fabulously massive cup of fresh coffee and a warm seat in front of the window watching the rain tip down.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 400-420g of sifted icing sugar, plus extra
• Few drops of peppermint flavouring or peppermint oil
• Pink and green food colourings (optional)
• Good dark choc for melting
  

Beat the egg white until it's just turned frothy and then add to 300g of sifted icing sugar. Add about 3 drops of peppermint oil or flavouring and a drop or two of food colouring. Fork the ingredients roughly together and continue adding tablespoons of sifted icing sugar until the mix is stiffening and can be handled into a rough ball shape. Taste and add a one or two more drops of peppermint if required. Knead the ball for a minute or so and add more sifted icing sugar if the dough feels too sticky or wet.

Lightly oil a piece of parchment paper and lay out. Shape the sweets as desired (sift sugar on worktop if rolling dough or else it will stick) and air dry the cut/shaped sweets on the parchment paper for 20 mins before decorating by dipping or dripping dark melted chocolate. We shaped our sweets by rolling balls of dough and then squishing them gently between thumb and forefinger.

I'm going to have to make and eat these again very soon, I miss them already.