Mints

Hard mints/Dinner mints - hard, brittle mints that must be sucked rather than chewed. Popularly used after dinners or as breath fresheners. They are traditionally a red and white striped circular lozenge wrapped in celophane.

Soft mints/Butter mints - soft, with a high butter content that melt in the mouth. Frequent filler of candy dishes and often served at weddings.

Chewy Mints - hard exterior shell and chewy interior. eg. Mentos Or liquid centered mints with hard outer candy shell.

Crunchy, chewable mints - such as Altoids Curiously Strong mints - made of sugar, oil of peppermint, gum arabic, gelatin and corn syrup.

Chocolate covered mints - usually with a creamy filling - such as After Eights, Junior Mints, York Peppermint Patties, and Andes Cream de Menthe Thins.

Some Popular Mints:

• Brach's - Dessert Mints (soft mints), Ice Blue Mint Coolers, Star Brites Peppermint and Spearmint (hard mints)
• Breathsavers
• Smint
• Tic Tacs Breath Mints
• Hershey's Breath Savers
• Wrigley's Doublemints
• Dentyne Ice Mints
• Ice Breakers
• Momints Bold Liquid Mints

Peppermint Mousse

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups milk
20 large, hard, round red-and-white peppermint candies, crushed (may wish to reserve a little for garnish)
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed in fridge

Crush peppermint candies using a sturdy bag and rolling pin or hammer, or try placing in blender and 'pulsing'.

Measure sugar and cornstarch into medium sized sauce pan, add egg and whisk. Add milk, crushed peppermint candies and whisk again.

Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring to prevent scorching. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and pour into a bowl.

Place plastic wrap on the surface of the mixture to keep a milk skin from forming, and put in fridge for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

Gently fold in whipped topping with a rubber spatula. Top may be garnished with more crushed peppermint, or chocolate curls.

Quick Mints

Soft and easy to make mints suitable for parties and wedding favors.

8 oz. cream cheese
2 lbs. powdered sugar
at least 4 drops mint flavoring (mint oil is quite a bit stronger than mint extract) or to taste
food coloring - liquid or paste

Mix powdered sugar and mint flavoring in with cream cheese, using a pastry cutter.

Divide as desired if coloring different colors, and knead in color until smooth.

Make marble-sized balls and either roll in powdered sugar or press into plastic or rubber mint candy molds.

Remove immediately, allow to dry overnight if desired to harden a little, then place in gift bags, boxes, or covered storage container.