Description
Soft Christmas Peppermints: A quick, comforting treat with a blend of peppermint and sweetness. Perfect for holiday crowds!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1–1½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Red food coloring (gel coloring works best)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting work surfaces)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace Before heating any ingredients, prepare your work area. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Gather all tools including a candy thermometer, heat-resistant gloves or mitts, and scissors for cutting. Measure all ingredients in advance, as the process moves quickly once the sugar reaches temperature.
- Step 2: Cook the Sugar Mixture In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, water, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir gently over medium-low heat until the sugar completely dissolves. Once dissolved, increase heat to medium and clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until the mixture reaches exactly 245°F (118°C). Immediately remove from heat.
- Step 3: Add Flavoring and Color Allow the mixture to cool slightly for about 2-3 minutes, then carefully add the peppermint extract (be careful, as it may sputter). Stir gently to incorporate. Pour approximately one-third of the mixture onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Add several drops of red food coloring to the remaining mixture in the pan and gently fold to create a uniform red color.
- Step 4: Begin Working the Candy Pour the red candy mixture onto the second baking sheet. When both portions have cooled enough to handle (but are still pliable), don heat-resistant gloves. Begin pulling and folding each portion separately—first the clear portion, then the red. Pull until each develops a satiny sheen and becomes more opaque, about 3-5 minutes per portion.
- Step 5: Create the Peppermint Swirl Once both candy portions have been pulled sufficiently, twist them together to create a candy cane effect. Pull and twist gently to create thin ropes about 1/2-inch in diameter, maintaining the red and white swirl pattern. Work quickly as the candy will continue to harden as it cools.
- Step 6: Shape and Cut Using greased scissors or a bench scraper, cut the pulled ropes into 1-inch pieces for traditional Soft Christmas Peppermints. Alternatively, shape small portions into discs by pressing lightly with your palm. Work swiftly to shape all the candy before it becomes too firm to manipulate.
- Step 7: Allow to Set Let your Soft Christmas Peppermints cool completely on the parchment paper for at least 1 hour. The candies will continue to soften slightly over the next 24 hours as they absorb moisture from the air, developing their characteristic soft-but-firm texture.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 peppermint
- Calories: 60
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg