Peppermint Cream Buttons

You know in those last few moments before you fall asleep, how weird and wonderful thoughts can occur? This was one of those. As I'm sure you'll imagine, I tend to have buttons on the brain quite a lot of the time, but why the notion of peppermint cream buttons suddenly sprang to mind just feet away from the Land of Nod border... well, we'll never know.

I made a large batch and split them between my office and craft club, where they went down rather well. I think they would make rather lovely wedding favours, too. 

This is a confectionery I've made many times over the years, but I finally decided that seeing as this lot would need to last over several days, and away from the fridge, I would adapt the recipe so as to leave out the egg white. Please welcome instead... condensed milk!

The following is for a large batch; just halve it if you require less:

Ingredients:

450g icing sugar

230g condensed milk (plenty in one tin)

A few drops of peppermint essence

Chocolate (optional)

Food colouring (optional)

A small round cutter - I made one out of a plastic lid and gave it a good wash

Pour your condensed milk into a bowl (mmm, Winnie the Pooh moment) and sift the icing sugar into it. Give it a jolly good mix, then add your peppermint essence and food colouring if using. I split the mixture into two and made one half green. Knead the mixture until smooth.

Roll out your mixture in batches - keeping the unrolled batches in clingfilm to prevent them drying out - to about 5mm thickness. Cut out your rounds, and place on greaseproof paper. Leave to firm up for ten to fifteen minutes, then use a cocktail stick to make holes in your peppermint buttons and draw a rim around each. I made half buttons, half hearts. (I also used a posh doodah for my decorating, but a cocktail stick works perfectly).

Pop your creations in the fridge, and if using chocolate, drizzle it on or dip the buttons once nice and firm.

Enjoy!

I had some leftover condensed milk, which I used to make flapjack. Peppermint creams make lovely gifts, after dinner mints... or in my case, crochet class rewards!